Lee Correctional Institution


Lee Correctional Institution is a high-security state prison for men located in Bishopville, South Carolina. On April 15th 2018, seven inmates were killed in the Lee Correctional Prison Riot. It was the deadliest U.S. prison riot in the past 25 years.

History

The facility opened in 1993 to replace the decommissioned Central Correctional Institution which had been the state's primary prison for over 130 years.At the time, Lee cost $46 million dollars to construct. It remains the largest maximum-security prisons for males in the South Carolina state system. It is often characterized as being the most dangerous.
Prisoners took control over portions of the prison on two separate incidents prior to the 2018 riot which was the deadliest U.S. prison riot in the past 25 years. The prison has had a long history of violent incidents. The prisoners at Lee can find work with private sector companies in several different industries. They can work packing products, manufacturing apparel, or recycling old mattresses.