Work Ethic Camp is a state work release facility in McCook, NE, operating under the authority of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. Work release is a supervised pre-release program - participants have been sentenced to state prison and are serving the final portion of their sentence while holding approved outside employment and returning to the facility each night. They remain in the legal custody of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services. This is not a standard prison and it is not parole. It is the bridge between incarceration and full release. Information on this page was last verified August 2026.
InmateAid has been helping families navigate state prison systems, work release, and reentry since 2012. Our founder served 66 months in federal custody. We know what the final stage of a long sentence feels like from the inside - and what families need to know to make it count. InmateAid holds a BBB A+ rating.
"My father served five years. Work release was the hardest part for our family because we could almost reach him but not quite. InmateAid helped us understand the rules and prepare for the day he actually came home."
-- A family member in Nebraska
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Work release participants remain in the custody of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services throughout the program. They will appear in the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services inmate search under their state DOC number. Use the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services online inmate locator or InmateAid's inmate locator to search by name across Nebraska facilities.
If your family member was recently transferred from a state prison to Work Ethic Camp, allow 24 to 48 hours for the locator to update. Call Work Ethic Camp at 308-345-8405 for direct confirmation. You can also verify their status and sentence details through public records and DOC case information.
Contact rules at state work release are governed by Nebraska Department of Correctional Services policy and the specific conditions at Work Ethic Camp. Your family member may have more communication flexibility than at a standard state prison, but the rules still apply - unauthorized contact or contact that creates compliance issues can result in removal from the program.
During work hours, contact depends entirely on the conditions of their work release placement. Some Nebraska Department of Correctional Services programs permit contact via employer phone or personal device during breaks; others require all communication to route through the facility. Contact Work Ethic Camp at 308-345-8405 to confirm what is permitted before attempting work-hours contact.
During facility hours:
During facility hours, calls go through the facility's contracted phone provider. Visit InmateAid's prison calls page to find the current provider for Work Ethic Camp.
State work release facilities may offer more flexible visitation than standard state prisons, reflecting the pre-release nature of the program. However, visitation remains subject to Nebraska Department of Correctional Services policy and the individual conditions of your family member's work release placement.
Contact Work Ethic Camp at 308-345-8405 to confirm current visiting hours, whether advance registration is required, and any conditions affecting visitation eligibility. Visitor registration requirements from the underlying state prison sentence may still apply - confirm whether previous visitor approvals carry over or whether you need to reapply. Read InmateAid's prison visitation guide for a full checklist.
Schedule a Virtual Visit at WEC
The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) implements a pre-registration system for visitation across all its facilities. Visits must be scheduled at least seven days in advance, and visitors can select their preferred time and date through an online form.
It's essential to adhere to the following guidelines:
- Visitors must be on the inmate's approved visitor list.
- While health screening procedures are no longer mandatory, visitors feeling unwell are encouraged to reschedule their visit.
- The wearing of masks is voluntary.
- Each visit allows up to four adult visitors and a reasonable number of children per inmate.
- Additional adults attending the same session need only fill out one registration form, listing all visitors' full names and contact information.
- Children of any age are permitted with at least one adult, and their names should be included on the form.
Key points regarding visitation requests:
- Requests must be submitted at least seven days before the chosen date.
- Visits can be scheduled up to four weeks in advance.
- Visits are assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis, with notification sent via email at least three days before the approved visit.
- Providing alternative dates and times increases the chances of accommodating preferences.
- If a visit needs to be canceled, the facility should be notified promptly.
*** Note: Visitors are advised to arrive before the scheduled visitation time to allow for processing into the facility.
WEC Visiting Schedule
To view a PDF version of this schedule, click here: WEC Visiting Schedule. Incarcerated persons at the Work Ethic Camp are limited to two sessions per day and one day per week. Visitors may sign up for either one session or both the A.M. and the P.M. sessions on Saturday or Sunday. To sign up for both sessions on the same day, please complete two separate forms, one for each session.
WEC Virtual Visiting Schedule
These links will take you to visiting procedures that apply to this facility - WEC Visiting Procedures and Virtual Visitation Program Protocol
Work release participants remain on the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services system for commissary and financial accounts. Use the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services's approved deposit method - the same system used throughout their state prison sentence.
Steps to send money to Work Ethic Camp:
1. Go to InmateAid's send money page to confirm the approved deposit method for this facility
2. Have your family member's full legal name and Nebraska Department of Correctional Services inmate number ready - the DOC number, not an old county booking number
3. Choose online deposit, phone deposit, or facility kiosk
4. Use the name and DOC number exactly as they appear in the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services system
Note: your family member is also earning wages at their work placement during this period. Ask the facility about how outside earnings interact with the DOC account, any deductions for supervision fees or restitution, and what funds are available for their use.
Work Ethic Camp accepts incoming mail addressed to your family member at 2309 N Hwy 83. Include their full legal name and Nebraska Department of Correctional Services inmate number on every piece. State work release mail rules follow Nebraska Department of Correctional Services standards - plain white paper, no staples, no glitter, no stickers, no colored ink. Photos in standard print size with nothing written on the back.
InmateAid's send mail service prints and mails on approved stock from your phone or computer. Formatting rejection is not a risk.
Books and magazines must come from the publisher or an online retailer, not from your home address. Order through Amazon or directly from the publisher.
State work release is a supervised program under Nebraska Department of Correctional Services authority. The conditions that govern it are set by Nebraska Department of Correctional Services policy and the individual terms of your family member's placement. Violations have serious consequences - removal from work release and return to state prison, potentially with additional time added to the sentence depending on Nebraska law.
As a family member, understanding these rules is not just helpful - it is protective. Families who create compliance situations for work release participants, even unintentionally, can contribute to a violation.
Curfew: Your family member must return to Work Ethic Camp by the designated curfew each night. Do not plan visits, family dinners, or any activities that could delay their return. A missed curfew is a violation regardless of the reason. If an emergency makes the curfew impossible, your family member must contact the facility immediately - before the curfew time, not after.
Drug and alcohol testing: Random testing is standard throughout Nebraska Department of Correctional Services work release. Complete abstinence from alcohol and non-prescribed controlled substances is required. Be aware of common false-positive risks including certain foods, non-alcoholic beer, mouthwash, and some medications. Your family member should disclose all prescribed medications to facility staff proactively.
Approved contacts and locations: Your family member's employer, daily route, approved contacts, and any stops between work and the facility may all require Nebraska Department of Correctional Services approval. Do not ask them to run errands, visit people not on their approved list, or deviate from their approved route without facility authorization.
Employment: Maintaining approved employment is a condition of the program. Loss of employment must be reported to Work Ethic Camp immediately. The facility will work with your family member through an employment coordinator to find replacement work, but unauthorized gaps are violations.
If you have questions about specific conditions of your family member's placement, contact Work Ethic Camp at 308-345-8405 or the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services directly.
Release from state work release involves either completion of the full sentence or release to parole supervision - and for most state inmates who have served significant time, parole supervision follows release. That means the end of work release is not the end of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services's involvement.
Parole supervision: If your family member will be released to parole, they will be assigned a parole officer in Nebraska who supervises their compliance with release conditions. Those conditions may include regular check-ins, geographic restrictions, employment requirements, drug testing, and prohibitions on contact with certain people or places. Read InmateAid's parole and probation guide for a breakdown of how parole supervision works in Nebraska and what families can expect.
Reentry preparation - start now:
Stable housing: A confirmed release address is required before final release in most states. If housing is uncertain, connect with Nebraska reentry resources now. Transitional housing options may be available through Nebraska Department of Correctional Services or nonprofit reentry organizations.
Documentation: Confirm that a state ID or driver's license, Social Security card, and birth certificate are available or in process. Without identification, employment, banking, and housing are all blocked from day one.
Employment continuity: The job held during work release is the ideal starting point for post-release employment. Support that continuity wherever possible.
Financial foundation: Work release wages, minus deductions for supervision fees and restitution, are the beginning of a post-release financial foundation. Help your family member plan from the start.
Read InmateAid's reentry guide for a comprehensive checklist covering every dimension of the Nebraska release process.
Nebraska Department of Correctional Services work release rules, supervision conditions, parole eligibility, and reentry resources all vary by Nebraska policy. InmateAid's Nebraska prison resources hub covers all of it - written specifically for families navigating the Nebraska system through to the end.
Have a specific question from someone who has been through the Nebraska system? Browse answers at InmateAid Nebraska Q&A.
Frequently Asked Questions about Work Ethic Camp
What is state work release and how is it different from parole?
State work release is a supervised pre-release program within the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services system. Your family member is still in DOC custody, still subject to DOC rules, and still serving their sentence. Parole is what follows release - supervised freedom in the community with a parole officer. Work release is the step before parole or end of sentence, not a form of release itself.
Does my family member's Nebraska Department of Correctional Services inmate number change at work release?
No. The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services inmate number assigned at intake stays the same throughout the sentence including work release. Use that number - not any county booking number - for money deposits, mail, and facility correspondence.
Can my family member have a cell phone at state work release?
Cell phone policies at state work release are governed by Nebraska Department of Correctional Services policy and vary by facility. Contact Work Ethic Camp at 308-345-8405 to confirm whether personal devices are permitted and under what conditions.
What happens to my family member if they violate work release conditions?
Violations of work release conditions can result in removal from the program and return to state prison. The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services retains full authority over work release placement and can revoke it. Time spent in work release may or may not count toward sentence completion depending on Nebraska law and the nature of the violation. Contact Work Ethic Camp at 308-345-8405 for information about specific conditions and consequences.
Will my family member go to parole after work release?
Most people completing state sentences transition to parole supervision after release unless they have maxed out their sentence. Contact Work Ethic Camp or the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services directly to confirm your family member's release structure - parole eligible, determinate end of sentence, or other. InmateAid's parole guide covers Nebraska-specific parole supervision conditions and what to expect.
How do we start preparing for life after release now?
The work release period is the ideal time to start reentry preparation. Confirm a release address, support employment continuity, begin the documentation process for any ID that is not yet in hand, and read InmateAid's reentry guide for a full Nebraska-specific checklist. The families who start preparing during work release have meaningfully better outcomes than those who wait until release day.
A state sentence is a long road. Work release is the last mile. The rules still apply - the curfew, the drug testing, the approved contacts - and a violation this close to the end is a real loss that nobody wants to face. But this is also the time when everything you and your family member have been working toward starts to take shape. The job, the housing plan, the documents, the first days after release - they are not hypothetical anymore. They are decisions being made right now.
InmateAid was built for the whole road. We are here at the end of it too.