Western Kentucky Correctional Complex Overview
Western Kentucky Correctional Complex, or WKCC, is a Kentucky Department of Corrections institution near Fredonia in Lyon County. The DOC describes the institution as a medium-custody facility with the Ross-Cash Center, a minimum-custody unit. It is a state prison, not a county jail, and it does not serve as the first booking point for a new Lyon County arrest.
The DOC page lists Warden Bobbi Jo Butts and ADA Coordinator Dan Smith. The research file notes that WKCC is Kentucky's only state-level co-ed facility, with adult male population inside the secure compound and adult female population at Ross-Cash. That mixed institutional structure makes WKCC different from both Crittenden County Detention Center and Kentucky State Penitentiary.
Western Kentucky Correctional Complex Population
The DOC facility page lists WKCC with a population of 693. The reported bed split is 493 beds inside the fenced perimeter and 200 beds at Ross-Cash Center. The DOC page also reports demographics as 64 percent White and 36 percent Black or Other, plus annual cost and budget figures. These are state-prison numbers, not local jail booking counts.
| Measure | DOC figure |
|---|---|
| Security status | Medium with minimum-custody Ross-Cash Center |
| Population | 693 |
| Bed split | 493 inside fenced perimeter; 200 at Ross-Cash |
| Demographics | 64% White; 36% Black/Other |
| Annual operating budget | $10.7 million |
Lookup Western Kentucky Correctional Complex Inmates
WKCC inmate lookup is done through Kentucky KOOL. KOOL is the state locator for Kentucky DOC offenders and can show current location, offender name, PID or DOC number, offense-count information, and photo availability. A county jail roster should not be used for WKCC custody unless the question is about an earlier jail booking before the person entered DOC custody.
- Open KOOL and search by name or DOC identifier if known.
- Use alias, photo-only, offender type, and location filters when they help narrow the record.
- Confirm the location value points to Western Kentucky Correctional Complex or Ross-Cash before using WKCC rules.
- Check the DOC warning that recent data may not be finalized for 120 days.
- Use VINELink for notification about release, transfer, escape, or parole-hearing events.
Western Kentucky Correctional Complex Contact
Use the DOC facility contact for prison custody questions. Use Crittenden County Detention Center for current regional jail custody, and use Lyon County court contacts for case status or court copies. WKCC staff are not the custodian for Lyon County Sheriff arrest reports or District Court docket records.
Western Kentucky Correctional Complex
374 New Bethel Church Road
Fredonia, KY 42411
270-388-9781
Fax: 270-388-0031
Western Kentucky Correctional Complex Visits
WKCC visits use Kentucky DOC prison rules, not Crittenden County jail video visitation rules. The DOC facility page links to visiting information and general inmate information. Because WKCC includes different custody settings, visitors should confirm approval, schedule, unit, identification, dress, and property restrictions before travel.
| Visit issue | Correct path |
|---|---|
| Approval | Use Kentucky DOC visiting information |
| Scheduling | Confirm through WKCC or linked DOC rules |
| Unit differences | Verify whether the person is in the secure compound or Ross-Cash |
| Attorney video | Use DOC attorney video visit resources where applicable |
Western Kentucky Mail and Money
WKCC mail, legal mail, phone, video, and money deposits are DOC processes. The research file notes DOC navigation for payment services, legal mail, attorney video visits, general inmate information, and facility pages. Use KOOL first to confirm the facility, then use DOC instructions for the exact mail format and current payment provider.
| Service | Source to use |
|---|---|
| General mail | DOC facility and general inmate information |
| Legal mail | DOC Legal Mail Portal if applicable |
| Money deposits | DOC Payment Services |
| Phone or video | DOC prison communications rules |
Western Kentucky DOC Admission
WKCC receives sentenced state prisoners through DOC classification and transfer, not through a local street-arrest booking desk. A Lyon County arrest starts with law enforcement and a receiving jail, then moves through District or Circuit Court. If the person receives a state sentence and DOC placement, KOOL becomes the key public locator and WKCC rules begin to control visits, mail, money, and custody questions.
The Ross-Cash and secure-compound distinction makes location confirmation important. A family member should not assume the same visit process, mailing format, or program assignment applies across every part of the complex. KOOL can identify the public location value, but facility staff and DOC pages should be used for current unit-specific procedures before travel or payment.
- Ross-Cash Center
- The minimum-custody unit associated with WKCC and listed by DOC with 200 beds.
- Medium custody
- A prison security level between minimum and maximum custody.
- KOOL
- Kentucky Offender Online Lookup, the statewide DOC public locator.
Western Kentucky Records Channels
WKCC records should be searched through the source that owns the record. KOOL answers the basic state-prison location question. VINELink can send custody-change notices for release, transfer, escape, or parole-hearing events. Kentucky Court of Justice records answer court-case questions, and the Lyon County Sheriff open-records process covers sheriff arrest or incident records created before a state sentence.
This division is especially important in Lyon County because the county contains two DOC prisons but does not appear to operate an active county jail roster. A recent arrest search may belong with Crittenden County Detention Center. A sentenced state-prison search may belong with KOOL and WKCC. A felony charging document or probation violation may belong with Circuit Court, even when the person is housed at WKCC.
| Record question | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Is the person at WKCC? | KOOL |
| Did custody change? | VINELink notifications |
| What was the court outcome? | Kentucky Court of Justice and Lyon court clerk |
| What happened at arrest? | Lyon Sheriff open-records request when LCSO holds the record |
Western Kentucky Facility History
The DOC history in the research file says the site was originally constructed in 1968 as a satellite facility and work camp of Kentucky State Penitentiary. It became Western Kentucky Farm Center in 1977, was renamed Western Kentucky Correctional Complex in 1989, converted to an adult female population in 2010, split into WKCC and Ross-Cash in 2015, and rejoined in 2016 as one institution with separate adult male and female populations.
That history helps explain why WKCC appears in a Lyon County inmate-population project even though it is not the local booking jail. It is a physical Lyon County prison with a major DOC population, while recent arrests are searched through the receiving jail and court records. For anyone trying to locate a person, the key fact is custody status: pretrial jail custody uses jail channels, and sentenced DOC custody uses KOOL and the WKCC facility page.
The Kentucky DOC Western Kentucky Correctional Complex page is the matched official source for WKCC facility facts.
The DOC page should be checked for current warden, ADA coordinator, population, visiting, and program information before any visit or formal request.
Note: Confirm the KOOL location before mailing, paying, or scheduling a visit for a WKCC prisoner.
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