North Dakota Department of Corrections: What Families Need to Know (2026)
North Dakota's guide takes a different shape from most, because it covers every place holding state inmates: the four Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation prisons, the contracted women's prison in New England, and contracted county jail beds in Bismarck. The department is led by Director Colby Braun. At the North Dakota State Penitentiary in Bismarck, in-person visiting runs Tuesday through Friday 6:00–8:00 p.m., with Thursday adults only, Saturday 8:15–11:30 a.m. for adults only and noon–3:30 p.m., and Sunday 8:15 a.m.–3:30 p.m., with no visiting on Monday.
The other facilities keep their own hours. James River Correctional Center in Jamestown visits Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings 6:30–8:30 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday split by last name, and its minimum unit visits Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday evenings. Missouri River Correctional Center in Bismarck visits Wednesday 6:00–8:00 p.m., Friday 12:45–2:45 p.m. and 6:00–8:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Heart River Correctional Center in Mandan, a women's facility, visits Saturday and Sunday 10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Onsite visits are free of charge, and video visits must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance at videovisitanywhere.com.
Mail is addressed per facility, including P.O. Box 5521, Bismarck, ND 58506-5521 for both Missouri River and the penitentiary, and P.O. Box 2499, Bismarck, ND 58502 for the Burleigh/Morton County Detention Center, where visits run Tuesday and Thursday 1:00–4:00 p.m. The guide also lists community help, including FirstLink 2-1-1 for referrals across the state and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Schedules change, so call the facility to confirm before traveling.
Full guide: https://8a1c6da4-9eeb-47b4-b576-ee932f459420.usrfiles.com/ugd/de0afa_1bdcdb2335804a00b8e72db57b80f8bd.pdf
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