Lee Arrendale Prison Overview
Lee Arrendale State Prison is operated by the Georgia Department of Corrections at Alto in Habersham County. GDC lists the facility type as State Prison and the security level as Special Mission. The prison is for adult and juvenile female felons and probationers, including people assigned for diagnostic, mental-health, residential substance-abuse, strategic intervention, academic, vocational, and transition-related functions. It is not a substitute for the county jail roster.
The official GDC facility page says Lee Arrendale was constructed in 1926, opened in 1951, and renovated in 1999. Its mission includes safe and secure housing, public safety, and program services for a population that differs from the local jail. A person arrested in Habersham County may begin in the county detention center, but a state-prison search becomes relevant only after sentencing, GDC commitment, or a GDC diagnostic or classification placement.
The official facility profile is shown in this screenshot from the GDC Lee Arrendale State Prison page.
That GDC page is the source for the prison's capacity, address, mission, housing, work details, and visitation schedule.
Lee Arrendale Inmate Capacity
GDC lists Lee Arrendale State Prison with capacity for 1,476. The population category is adult and juvenile female felons and probationers, not pretrial county-jail detainees. That distinction matters when a family member searches for custody. A person held for a new Habersham County arrest belongs in the county jail process until the case reaches a state-prison sentence or GDC transfer.
The facility also carries statewide female diagnostic functions and specialized programs, which means some inmates may be at Lee Arrendale for classification or service needs that are broader than a single Habersham County case. GDC records should be used to confirm current institution, GDC ID, sentence data, and status.
Lookup Lee Arrendale Inmates
Lee Arrendale State Prison inmates are searched through the Georgia Department of Corrections offender query. The county jail phone line and Habersham open-records process do not locate state-prison inmates once custody is in GDC. Georgia.gov describes the GDC search as the free state tool for offenders currently serving in GDC facilities and says county jail inmates should be found through county sites.
GDC search users must accept the disclaimer before searching. The query can be run by name, description, ID number, or case number. Search fields include first and last name, race, sex, age range, most recent institution, conviction county, and identifier options such as GDC ID number or case number. GDC warns that it makes no warranty as to accuracy or completeness and says written verification may be requested from Inmate Records and Information at P.O. Box 1529, Forsyth, GA 31029.
- Open the GDC offender query and accept the search disclaimer.
- Search by last name and first name, or use a GDC ID or case number when known.
- Use the institution field if Lee Arrendale is known or appears in the result.
- Open the individual record to check photograph, GDC ID, status, sentence data, and current or most recent institution.
The search form is shown in this screenshot from the official GDC offender search page.
The GDC query is the correct locator for Lee Arrendale because it covers state-prison custody, not local booking custody.
Lee Arrendale Contact
Lee Arrendale State Prison has separate physical and mailing addresses. The physical facility address is on Gainesville Highway in Alto. The mailing address is a post office box in Alto, and the GDC facility page lists both the main phone and fax number. Families should use GDC channels for prison status, visitation, and family-service questions, while Habersham County Detention Center remains the contact for current county-jail custody.
Lee Arrendale State Prison
2023 Gainesville Hwy
Alto, GA 30510
706-776-4700
Fax: 706-776-4710
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 709
Alto, GA 30510
GDC main contact: 404-656-4661
Confirm family-service instructions with GDC.
Lee Arrendale Visitation
Lee Arrendale visitation is a state-prison schedule, not the county jail's Paytel video window. GDC lists visits by the inmate's last name: A through K on Saturdays and L through Z on Sundays, with all visitors allowed on state holidays. The published hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. GDC warns that schedules rotate about every 90 days, so the prison should be contacted before travel.
Because Lee Arrendale is a GDC prison, visitors should expect approval, identity, conduct, and dress requirements under state correctional rules. The facility page is the local schedule source, but approval and family-service steps may also be controlled by GDC's statewide "Visit an Inmate" and "Friends & Family" resources. A person who is still in county jail will not use this prison schedule.
| Visitor group | Hours | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Inmates last name A-K | Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. | State-prison visitation |
| Inmates last name L-Z | Sunday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. | State-prison visitation |
| State holidays | 9 a.m.-3 p.m. | All visitors, confirm before travel |
| Rotation notice | About every 90 days | Call facility to confirm |
Lee Arrendale Mail and Money
Mail and money for Lee Arrendale State Prison follow GDC family-service rules rather than the Habersham County JailATM and Paytel rules. The research file identifies the prison mailing address as P.O. Box 709, Alto, GA 30510, and notes that GDC family pages include send-money, send-packages, friends-and-family, and loved-one location resources. A facility-specific money fee table was not captured in the research, so deposit fees should be confirmed through the current GDC-approved service before funds are sent.
GDC records may display photographs automatically if available, and individual records always show photos when available according to the GDC offender-query notice. That is a state-prison offender photo rule. It should not be confused with Habersham County jail booking photos or the removed county roster.
| Service | Provider / Detail |
|---|---|
| Prison mail | Lee Arrendale State Prison, P.O. Box 709, Alto, GA 30510 |
| Facility phone | 706-776-4700 |
| Family services | GDC Friends & Family, Send Money, Send Packages, and Where is My Loved One resources |
| Money deposit fees | Not captured in official local research; confirm with the current GDC-approved service. |
Lee Arrendale Intake
Lee Arrendale State Prison intake is not street-arrest booking. County jail booking happens at a local detention center after arrest. Lee Arrendale receives state-prison and GDC-classified offenders through correctional placement, sentence commitment, diagnostic services, and program assignment. The GDC page lists diagnostic services for female offenders statewide, along with mental-health and intellectual-disability services, academic and vocational programming, and residential substance-abuse or strategic intervention functions.
That distinction helps when a person seems missing from one system. If the person is newly arrested in Habersham County, start with Habersham County Detention Center. If the person has a state sentence or GDC number, use the GDC offender query and confirm the current institution shown in the record.
Lee Arrendale Housing Programs
GDC publishes much more housing and program detail for Lee Arrendale than the county jail publishes for its local units. A Unit includes the Residential Substance Abuse Center, Transitional Center, and General Population Supportive Living Unit. B Unit general population houses 576. C Unit includes Faith Character Based and general population areas. D Unit is general population single cell, and E Unit contains administrative segregation cells. The facility also includes a Special Management Unit, C.E.R.T. team, Canine Unit, and Fire Station.
Work and program details are extensive. GDC lists farm operations with swine and cattle, maintenance, food service, seven contract details, fire department, equine rescue, and hay operations. Academic services include GED, adult basic education, literacy, and special education. Counseling includes MRT, Motivation for Change, Family Violence, Thinking for a Change, Re-Entry, Parenting, Relapse Prevention, Behavior Stabilization, and Career Center. Vocational and on-the-job areas include small engine repair, auto mechanics, auto paint, woodworking, cosmetology, electrical wiring, warehousing, auto detailing, welding, food service, office technology, culinary arts, farm worker, guide dog, veterinary technician, dog grooming, and Forever Friends Dog Rescue.
Custody distinction: Lee Arrendale handles GDC prison custody, while Habersham County Detention Center handles local pretrial and short-sentence jail custody.
About Lee Arrendale
Lee Arrendale adds a second and very different custody layer inside Habersham County. The prison's scale, mission, statewide diagnostic function, and female state-prison population make it separate from county inmate population questions tied to new arrests, bonds, and local court dates. The GDC facility page also says Lee Arrendale hosts children-center functions for inmates and children, plus host roles for Arrendale Transitional Center and Colwell Probation Detention Center.
Research also notes recent prison-condition context. Associated Press reported on February 29, 2024 that a woman incarcerated at Lee Arrendale filed a federal lawsuit alleging sexual assault by a correctional officer in December 2022, and a later local report stated a Lee Arrendale lieutenant was charged by GDC. Those are allegations and charges unless a disposition is verified. The U.S. Department of Justice also published a 2024 statewide findings report on Georgia prisons, which is broader than Lee Arrendale alone.
Note: Confirm custody, approval status, and the current 90-day visitation rotation with Lee Arrendale before traveling.