Plainfield Correctional Facility

The Plainfield Correctional Facility, also known as the Reception-Diagnostic Center (RDC), is a prison located a few miles west of Plainfield, Indiana. All adult males who have been sentenced to the Indiana Department of Corrections have to go through this prison. While there, the prisoners go through a fairly large number of tests, including a dental exam, a physical, a mental exam, blood tests, and must give a DNA sample. The only exception is if the inmate has been condemned, or sentenced to death. In this case, the inmate will go directly to the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, IN.

The capacity is about 2,500, and is a maximum-security facility. The inmates are locked down for about 23 hours a day, except to eat and to watch a movie. All the cells are two-man cells. The prison tries to house inmates convicted of similar crimes together, i.e., a sex offender will be housed with another sex offender.

After the inmate has completed all the tests and has filled out all the proper paperwork, he will see a location officer, to be placed in a permanent housing facility. Prison choice is based on what level the inmate is; this level is based on a point-system. The more points the inmate has, the higher his level, and the fewer choices the inmate has. Most of the time, the inmate will be sent to the prison he chose, but sometimes that particular prison is full, and he may be sent to the next closest prison.

When it is time for the inmate to be sent off, the officer on duty will call the inmate's call and bunk. This will take place at about 1:00 AM. The inmate will be dressed out of his RDC uniform, and wear a orange jumpsuit. The inmate will eat his final RDC breakfast, and will be handcuffed and shackled, and led out to the bus. Most inmates will not return to RDC during their sentence.