Lee Correctional Institution

Lee Correctional Institution is South Carolina's maximum-security state prison, operated by the South Carolina Department of Corrections and located in Bishopville in Lee County in the central part of the state, roughly 45 miles east of Columbia. Opened in 1993, the facility houses adult male inmates at maximum security classification and is considered the most secure prison in the South Carolina DOC system. Lee Correctional gained significant national attention following a large-scale riot in April 2018 that resulted in the deaths of seven inmates and injuries to many others, making it one of the deadliest prison incidents in recent U.S. history. The facility subsequently underwent significant security and operational reviews.

Communication at Lee Correctional Institution follows South Carolina DOC provider contracts. JPay handles electronic messaging, photo sharing, and money transfers. Families create a JPay account and add the inmate using their South Carolina DOC number to begin correspondence. GTL manages phone calls and video visitation under the SCDC statewide contract. The two-platform model applies: JPay for messaging and money, GTL for phone and video. As with South Carolina's other state facilities, these platforms require separate accounts with separate funding.

Lee County is in the Pee Dee region of central South Carolina, roughly 45 miles east of Columbia on I-20 and US-15. For Columbia-area families, the drive is about 45 minutes. For families in the Sumter or Florence area, the facility is even closer. For Charlotte-area families in North Carolina, the drive is about two hours. Lee County is a rural area, and the prison is the county's largest employer. South Carolina DOC accounts work system-wide and carry over to any other SCDC facility if an inmate is transferred.