Madison Correctional Institution (MCI) has been operating since April of 1988 after its work camp opened and later, its main unit opened in March 1989.
With a total of 1,196 all-male inmates in the main unit and a total of 245 in the work camp, MCI is a very busy place. Luckily, MCI has a total of 273 hard-working, dedicated state employees that help keep both the community and institution safe.
Several inmate work squads are utilized by the Department of Transportation, Public Works, community service and contracting services to serve the community in many ways, working on a variety of projects for several areas around Madison County; some of the past projects these work squads have completed include the remodeling of the Courthouse Annex, the remodeling and repainting of the Senior Citizens Council of Madison County building, the rebuilding of the dock and stage at Lake Frances and much, much more. In addition, every summer, the squads help with repairs and repainting of the schools around Madison County. The squads also work on many sidewalks in the City of Madison.
At the head of the institution is Warden Robert E. Smith, Jr. He began working at MCI in October of 2015.
As warden, Smith has many different duties. He visits all areas of the facility regularly to ensure the staff and inmates are safe, manages the budget of the facility by monitoring expenses, maintains the population of inmates in order to protect the public and provides inmates with the appropriate adjustments for transfers.
“I enjoy being the warden at MCI,” said Smith. “I've met a lot of community leaders and we have become great partners. MCI has a lot of great staff that go above and beyond to assist the community and keep it safe.”