Why Phillips State Prison Houses ‘Management Problem’ Inmates — What Families Should Know

Phillips State Prison's official mission is to house inmates who've had management problems at other facilities, plus anyone who might pose a risk if placed somewhere else. Translation: Phillips is built for higher-control housing. The staff and infrastructure are designed to handle behavior and security concerns that other prisons aren't equipped for.

Phillips houses a Special Management Unit (SMU) - one reason it can take on these placements. An SMU means dedicated space and procedures for tighter supervision and controlled movement. For someone housed there, this affects daily routines significantly.

The facility also has a C.E.R.T. Team on site. These teams respond to high-risk incidents and help maintain order - exactly what you'd expect at a prison designed for challenging placements.

A Tactical Squad is stationed at Phillips as well. For families, the takeaway is straightforward: specialized staff and resources focused on security and emergency response are part of the prison's standard operation.

Phillips also maintains a Canine Unit, adding another layer of on-site security.

Housing is organized into 10 living units, each with two dormitories. Seven and a half of those units have two-man cells; the rest are a combination of single-man cells. This mix of dorms and cell types gives staff flexibility to match housing assignments with security and management needs.

The facility has 100 isolation/segregation cells. If your loved one ends up in segregation or connected housing like the SMU, expect daily routines, programming, and contact to look very different from general population. That many segregation cells reflects Phillips' role handling inmates who've been difficult to manage elsewhere.

Phillips has an official capacity of 918 inmates - helpful context for understanding the facility's scale.

The prison was built in 1988 and opened in 1990. Families sometimes ask because older facilities can have different layouts and operations than newer ones.

Phillips also serves as the host facility for the Atlanta Medical Center and the Phillips Transitional Center. The transitional center has 310 beds - a separate reentry component connected to the main prison operation.

What does this mean for families? Placements at Phillips are usually tied to security and behavior management needs - especially given the SMU and 100 segregation cells. This won't tell you exactly what your loved one's day looks like, but it explains why Phillips houses people who've struggled elsewhere or aren't safe to place at other institutions. If your loved one was recently transferred in, pay close attention to their housing assignment. General population, SMU, or segregation - each one shapes everything from daily routine to what kind of access you'll have.

Verify

• ✓ Ask what housing status your loved one is in (general population, SMU, or segregation) and whether that changes visits
• ✓ Confirm whether there are any extra procedures tied to higher-control housing, since Phillips’ mission includes managing higher-risk placements and it has an SMU
• ✓ Double-check the current visiting days and hours before you travel, especially if your loved one’s housing status recently changed

Phillips lists visitation hours as 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Saturdays, Sundays, and state holidays. Use that as your starting point - but if your loved one is in a special management or segregation setting, confirm directly with the facility. Those placements often come with different procedures.