Angola Prison Overview
The Louisiana DPS&C facility page for Louisiana State Penitentiary lists the prison at 17544 Tunica Trace, Angola, LA 70712, with main phone (225) 655-4411. The page identifies Warden Darrel Vannoy and describes LSP as Louisiana's oldest and only maximum-security prison. It is commonly called Angola and sits on an 18,000-acre property in West Feliciana Parish.
Louisiana State Penitentiary holds sentenced people in Louisiana DPS&C custody. It does not serve as the public roster for new West Feliciana Parish arrests. A person booked at West Feliciana Parish Detention Center may later move into state custody after sentencing, but the search system changes once the person is in DPS&C custody. The parish roster, the TWP office, VINELink, and the DOC phone locator answer different custody questions.
Because Angola is in the same parish as a small local jail and a transitional work program, search results can be confusing. The safest approach is to match the search tool to the custody type. Local pretrial custody belongs to the sheriff's jail roster. Sentenced prison custody belongs to Louisiana DPS&C. Federal and immigration custody have separate federal systems.
The image below is from the official Louisiana DPS&C Louisiana State Penitentiary page.
That source supports the state prison details, including address, warden, visitation, directions, and program listings.
Louisiana State Penitentiary Lookup
The correct lookup path for Louisiana State Penitentiary is the Louisiana VINELink person search or the DOC automated phone locator at (225) 383-4580. DOC says callers need the person's name plus date of birth or DPS&C number. The locator may return the facility, release date if calculated, or Probation & Parole district office when applicable. It does not provide a full prison file.
- Use VINELink for an online Louisiana custody-status search.
- Call the DOC locator at (225) 383-4580 if online search is not enough.
- Have the person's full name plus date of birth or DPS&C number ready.
- Confirm that the listed facility is Louisiana State Penitentiary before planning mail, money, or visits.
Do not use the WFPSO Jail Bookings list as the main Angola search tool. That page can show parish booking events, including events tied to prison incidents, but it is not the statewide prison locator. A person at Angola may not appear on the local jail roster because the person is not housed in the parish detention center.
| Field | Required | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes | DOC phone and VINELink name search |
| Date of Birth | One identifier | Helps separate people with similar names |
| DPS&C Number | Alternative identifier | Direct state prisoner identifier |
| State | Yes online | Select Louisiana in VINELink |
Angola Address and Contact
Louisiana State Penitentiary is reached through the DOC facility contact, not the West Feliciana Parish Sheriff's Office jail line. The DOC page says the prison is at the end of Highway 66, about 22 miles northwest of St. Francisville. From St. Francisville, travel north on Highway 61 about two miles, turn left on Highway 66, and follow Highway 66 for about 20 miles to the front gate.
Louisiana State Penitentiary
17544 Tunica Trace
Angola, LA 70712
(225) 655-4411
Warden Darrel Vannoy
State Locator
Louisiana DPS&C
VINELink online person search
(225) 383-4580
Name plus DOB or DPS&C number needed
Angola Visitation Rules
Louisiana State Penitentiary visitation is a prison schedule, not a parish jail schedule. The DOC facility page lists Saturday and Sunday visitation from 6:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Visitors must arrive before 2:00 PM for the final bus, and visits are limited to two hours. The approved visiting list can include ten approved visitors plus one religious adviser, and up to five visitors may visit at one time.
| Day | Hours | Key Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday | 6:00 AM-4:00 PM | Arrive before 2:00 PM for final bus |
| Sunday | 6:00 AM-4:00 PM | Two-hour visits and approved list required |
| Weekdays | No general public schedule listed | Contact the facility for official business |
Visitors age 15 and older need picture identification. Allowed property is limited and can include a small wallet or clutch with cash, necessary medication, one car key, baby supplies, and wallet photos. The dress code bars inmate-like or officer-like clothing, transparent clothing, swimwear, short skirts, short dresses, strapless tops, tank tops, halter tops, exposed midriff, obscene or gang clothing, slippers, flip-flops, and nonreligious hats.
Angola Mail and Money
DOC mail and money rules differ from the West Feliciana Parish jail and TWP rules. State prison mail should include the person's name and DPS&C number. DOC says families should not send packages, publications, greeting cards, postcards, cash, stamps, or hardback photos directly. Approved packages use vendor channels such as Union Supply or Access Securepak.
| Service | Provider or Detail |
|---|---|
| Use person name and DPS&C number; follow DOC mail limits | |
| Phone | Securus state prison phone system |
| Electronic messaging and money | JPay, subject to DOC fee schedule and limits |
| Packages | Union Supply or Access Securepak approved package programs |
The researched JPay schedule lists internet fees from $3.50 to $10.50 depending on deposit amount, phone fees from $4.50 to $11.50, no charge for mailed money orders after receipt processing, and a $300 maximum for internet and phone deposits. Verify current vendor fees before payment because vendor schedules can change.
Angola Prison Programs
Louisiana State Penitentiary has a broad program list in the DOC source. The list reflects a large state prison with education, trades, religious programming, and reentry components. It should not be confused with the West Feliciana Parish TWP's shorter weekly class list or the detention center's basic jail operations.
- Adult basic education, literacy, GED, and HiSET preparation
- PREP, reentry court workforce, and special school district services
- Carpentry, culinary arts, horticulture, welding, HVAC, and electrical training
- Seminary and college partnerships, including Ashland and Upper Iowa University programs
- Automotive ASE, NCCER trades, collision repair, painting, and brick masonry
Program eligibility depends on classification, custody level, space, staffing, discipline, medical needs, and DOC rules. A locator result showing Angola as the facility does not prove that a person is enrolled in any listed program.
Angola Records Limits
DPS&C custody records are not the same as parish booking records. DOC cites confidentiality for records of people in prison under R.S. 15:574.12, so state prison records are narrower than the public jail booking information a sheriff may release. The DOC locator can provide limited status, facility, release, or Probation & Parole information. It is not a full court record, incident report, medical record, or disciplinary file.
Court records that led to a prison sentence remain in the court system. In West Feliciana Parish, criminal filings are handled by the clerk, and users searching for charges after arrest should use the criminal records path rather than the Angola facility page. For local custody before sentencing, use the West Feliciana Parish Detention Center roster path. For sentenced state custody, use DOC and VINELink.
Note: Confirm an approved visitor list status with Angola before driving Highway 66 to the prison gate.
Angola Population Context
The DOC facility page does not publish a facility-specific capacity figure in the researched source. Vera's West Feliciana parish profile reports a combined prisons and jails capacity of 5,423 across Angola, the West Feliciana Parish Detention Center, and the West Feliciana Work Release facility. That number is useful local context, but it should not be cited as an Angola-only capacity unless the source separates it.
The 18,000-acre figure belongs to the Angola property. The 5,423 figure is a combined parish facility capacity measure. The West Feliciana Parish jail capacity is a separate 39-male-offender figure. Keeping those numbers separate prevents the common mistake of treating every person in the parish's prison population as a parish jail inmate.