The History and Layout of Westville Correctional Facility: What Families Should Know
Westville Correctional Facility has a history that stretches back long before it became a prison. If you're trying to make sense of paperwork or things your loved one mentions—like references to older buildings or the Maximum Control Complex—this timeline will help.
The campus now known as Westville Correctional Facility started as something very different: Beatty Memorial Hospital, a state-run mental health facility that opened in February 1951. The hospital honored Dr. Norman Beatty, an Indianapolis physician who dedicated his career to mental health services.
The shift from hospital to prison traces back to a 1974 lawsuit in U.S. District Court. That case forced Indiana to address overcrowding in its prisons - and the state needed another facility fast. Beatty Memorial Hospital was transferred to the Indiana Department of Correction.
After renovations and new construction, Westville Correctional Facility opened in July 1979. A 220-bed Maximum Control Complex was added in 1991 - you may hear this referenced in conversations about housing or custody levels.
Westville is big. The facility holds more than 3,400 incarcerated individuals, and that scale shapes the day-to-day realities families notice - how housing areas are named, how schedules work, why procedures can feel more complicated than at smaller facilities.
The state describes Westville as offering multiple programs focused on community service and re-entry. The historical sources don't list specific program names or eligibility rules. If you want to confirm what's currently available - and whether your loved one qualifies - check the Indiana Department of Correction's Westville facility page for up-to-date details.
Note: For the most current facility information, use the IDOC Westville facility page: https://www.in.gov/idoc/find-a-facility/adult/westville-correctional-facility/
Questions to Ask
- ✓ What housing area is my loved one currently in, and does that change their day-to-day schedule?
- ✓ If they’re interested in re-entry or community-service programming, what programs are available right now, and what are the eligibility requirements?
- ✓ Are there waitlists for programs, and how does someone get added?
- ✓ Do program schedules change by housing area or over time?
- ✓ If renovations are affecting movement, housing, or access to programs, what should families expect in the short term?
- ✓ For renovation-related questions, can staff direct me to the right source - or should I email capitalprojects@idoa.in.gov?
- ✓ Where can I verify the latest official information? (Use the IDOC Westville facility page listed above.)
Getting conflicting information? Stick with official sources. For renovation-specific questions, email capitalprojects@idoa.in.gov. For day-to-day facility details - including programs - the IDOC Westville facility page is your best bet.
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