Understanding Lee Arrendale State Prison: Georgia’s Only Female Diagnostic Facility
If your loved one just entered Georgia DOC custody, Lee Arrendale State Prison may be her first stop. Arrendale isn't just another women's prison — it's the state's designated female diagnostic facility. That role shapes what happens next and how quickly you'll be able to connect.
Lee Arrendale State Prison is the Georgia Department of Corrections' designated female diagnostic facility. Most women entering DOC custody come through Arrendale first - the department completes intake, runs required screenings, and decides on placement here. The facility transitioned from male to female in 2005 and became the female diagnostic center in 2011. For families, what matters is simple: this is where diagnostics and classification happen for women entering the system.
"Diagnostics and classification" is an assessment period. Staff evaluate what your loved one needs and where she should be housed next. The process covers programming needs - academic, vocational, and cognitive - plus medical, mental health, and dental assessments. Those findings drive the classification decision and shape her service plan going forward. Think of it less as settling in and more as information-gathering for DOC's next placement and treatment decisions.
- ✓ Shower
- ✓ Delouse
- ✓ Picture taken
- ✓ Clothing, bed roll, and ID issued
- ✓ Intake packet completed
- ✓ Labs drawn for blood work
- ✓ Pap smear
- ✓ Physical examinations
- ✓ DNA collection
- ✓ Comprehensive dental exams
The diagnostic process typically wraps up within 10 business days of arrival. If your loved one needs higher-level medical or mental health care, expect it to take longer. For families, this window can feel unsettled - paperwork, assessments, and decisions move quickly, and her next placement may not happen right away.
Contact options usually open up once your loved one is settled at her assigned facility or moving through reentry. At that point, permitted contact can include phone, video, or in-person visits. While she's still in diagnostics or mid-transfer, focus on getting your approvals and mailing information lined up. That way you're ready the moment her status updates.
Safety note (PREA): Georgia DOC states it investigates all allegations of sexual abuse and sexual harassment in compliance with the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA).
- Start visitor approval early - To become an approved visitor, fill out the Visitation Request Form and submit the completed form to the facility where your loved one is incarcerated.
- Use the correct mailing address - Send mail for Lee Arrendale State Prison to: P.O. Box 709, Alto, GA 30510.
- Time your plans around diagnostics and transfers - If your loved one is at Arrendale for diagnostics or moving to an assigned facility, confirm her current location/status before you try to schedule anything or make travel plans.
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