NYSDOC - Wende Correctional Facility

State Prison

Last Updated: February 15, 2024
Address
3040 Wende Rd, Alden, NY 14004-1187
County
Erie
Phone
716-937-4000

Wende Correctional Facility is for State Prison offenders sentenced anywhere from one year to life by the State Court in the county where the charges were filed

All prisons and jails have Security or Custody levels depending on the inmate’s classification, sentence, and criminal history. Please review the rules and regulations for State - maximum facility.

The phone carrier is Securus Tech®, to see their rates and best-calling plans for your inmate to call you.

If you are unsure of your inmate's location, you can search and locate your inmate by typing in their last name, first name or first initial, and/or the offender ID number to get their accurate information immediately Registered Offenders

Satellite View of NYSDOC - Wende Correctional Facility

You can support your loved ones at Wende Correctional Facility on InmateAid, if you have any immediate questions contact the facility directly at 716-937-4000.

Located at 3040 Wende Rd in Alden, NY, Wende Correctional Facility carefully assigns inmates based on their custody level, considering factors like criminal history. Wende Correctional Facility offers diverse educational and vocational programs aimed at equipping offenders for successful reintegration into society and reducing recidivism. Through these initiatives, inmates gain skills and confidence, fostering personal growth and resilience.

Wende Correctional Facility, a maximum-security prison located east of Buffalo, NY, derives its name from the Alden region where it's situated. Initially a county jail operated by Erie County, NY, the site was sold to the state to meet the demand for a maximum-security state prison. Adjacent to Wende stands the Erie County Correctional Facility.

Among the notable inmates housed at Wende are Jack Abbott, a criminal and author who committed suicide there in 2002, and Jimmy Burke, the mastermind of the Lufthansa Heist at LaGuardia Airport, who was portrayed by Robert DeNiro in "Goodfellas". Additionally, Robert Chambers, infamous as the "Preppie Killer," was incarcerated at Wende in 2008 before being transferred, while Mark David Chapman, the killer of former Beatles member John Lennon, arrived at Wende in 2012. David Sweat, responsible for the murder of a Broome County sheriff's officer and an escape from Clinton Correctional Facility in 2015, was transferred to Wende in 2018. Harvey Weinstein, a former film producer and convicted sex offender, was also housed at Wende before being transferred to Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles, where he faced additional charges.

Wende Correctional Facility offers vocational training courses in business, custodial/building maintenance, plumbing, and heating, providing inmates with valuable skills for potential employment upon release. Alcohol and substance abuse treatment services are also available to address inmates' needs. Additionally, inmates have the opportunity to take courses such as Alternatives for Violence, which trains them in various problem-solving techniques, contributing to their rehabilitation and successful reintegration into society.

Inmate Locator

Wende Correctional Facility maintains a database of current inmates and their locations within the system. To locate an inmate, begin by using the DOC locator tool, which requires entering the first three letters of the inmate's first and last name, allowing for variations in spelling.

If unable to locate the desired information through free resources, users may opt to use the Arrest Record Search, which requires payment. While this option incurs a small fee, it provides access to the most up-to-date data available.

Get an Arrest Record immediately.

Visitation Information

Visitation information effective 12/22/2022

Driving Directions

Visiting Days: Daily (including weekends and Holidays)

Visiting Hours: 9:00AM to 3:00PM (Latest arrival time 2:15PM)

Special Housing Unit Visiting Days & Hours: Incarcerated individuals in SHU custody are allowed one non-legal visit within a seven (7) day period. Each week begins on a Sunday and ends on a Saturday.

RMU Visitation: RMU incarcerated individuals will only be allowed visits in the A & B Visit Rooms during weekdays if medically cleared to leave the RMU. If Incarcerated Individuals are not cleared to leave the RMU, visits are conducted only on the weekends in the dedicated RMU visit room.

Visitation Schedule: Visitation is open daily on a first come, first served basis.

Maximum Number of Visits per Week: Opportunity for two (2) weekend visits per month. No limit on number of weekday visits.

Maximum Number of Visitors per Visit: Three (3) visitors and one (1) child under the age of five (5) will be allowed to visit. The child must sit on an adult’s lap.

Visiting Room Overcrowding Policy: In the event that space considerations require termination of visits, the following procedure will be followed:

1) Request voluntary termination from any visitor first.

2) If no volunteers, those visitors who arrived first will be asked to leave.

*Visit termination due to crowding will be after 3 hours with first in, first out.

Special Considerations: All visitors will report to the Visit Hospitality Center for the health screening. Visitors will be issued a numbered pass upon arrival.

For additional visitation information, please visit the DOCCS Visitors Page

Ask The Inmate

Ask a former inmate questions at no charge. The inmate answering has spent considerable time in the federal prison system, state and county jails, and in a prison that was run by the private prison entity CCA. Ask your question or browse previous questions in response to comments or further questions of members of the InmateAid community.