Riverbend Maximum Security Institution

Get approved, then book

TDOC requires approval for every visitor, including children. Send the application to the assigned institution; approval must be received before a visit. Visits are appointment-only.

Sources: TDOC visiting

Riverbend appointment desk

Ask the desk for your loved one's unit/pod session, visit length, check-in deadline and any cancellation. These are scheduling-contact hours, not an admission window.

Telephone

(615) 350-3750

Booking hours

Monday–Wednesday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.; Thursday, 8–11 a.m.

Email

RMSI.visitation@tn.gov

Sources: TDOC visiting

What to bring and wear

• Bring photo ID and car keys; leave phones, smart watches and wallets secured in your vehicle. Necessary baby supplies go in a clear bag.
• Expect screening and possible vehicle searches. Smoking and vaping are prohibited on state property.
• Avoid sleeveless, transparent, camouflage, torn or spandex clothing, exposed midriffs, excessive jewelry, flip-flops and steel/composite-toed shoes. Riverbend may add restrictions.

Sources: TDOC visiting

Children and accessibility

A minor needs their own approved application. TDOC's minor-application process requires the applicable parent/guardian documentation and photographs; complete that process before requesting a visit.

For mobility, medical-device or screening accommodations, ask the visitation desk before the appointment. A current Riverbend-specific accessible parking, entrance and accommodation procedure was not found in the public sources reviewed.

Sources: TDOC minors

Confirm the current session before making travel plans

The available Riverbend handbook is dated January 2021. It describes weekend and Monday-evening sessions, but it is not reliable evidence of today's unit/pod timetable. Obtain your current appointment and arrival instructions from the desk before booking travel. Do not use the office hours above as visiting hours.

Sources: TDOC visiting

Phone accounts

TDOC uses ConnectNetwork, powered by GTL. AdvancePay funds calls to your number; PIN Debit funds the incarcerated person's calls to approved numbers. The TDOC page describes an approved list of up to ten numbers.

You cannot call an incarcerated person directly. For a family emergency, contact Riverbend and ask for the chaplain; TDOC identifies the chaplain as the emergency-call contact.

Sources: TDOC phones

Video Connect

JPay's Riverbend page lists Video Connect at $12.50 for 30 minutes, with unused minutes refunded. A vendor listing does not guarantee a slot for your loved one's housing unit. Confirm eligibility, approval and appointment availability before paying.

Sources: JPay Riverbend

Address ordinary personal mail for scanning

TDOC moved personal mail to centralized scanning on November 3, 2025. Include your return name and address and clearly label the identification number TDOC ID#. Photos are scanned too; inappropriate images are not delivered. Reading scanned mail does not cost the recipient anything.

Sources: TDOC mail, TDOC scanning FAQ

Choose plain cards and permitted photographs

• Do not enclose Polaroid-type photos, cash, checks or money orders.
• Avoid homemade items and layered, decorated or musical cards.
• Do not send original irreplaceable photos: physical personal mail is retained for up to 90 days, then destroyed.

Sources: TDOC Policy 507.02, TDOC scanning FAQ

Legal correspondence and books

Privileged correspondence—including attorney and court mail—continues to the institution, not the personal-mail scanning center. Confirm the institution's correct legal-mail addressing with the sender.

Order books and other printed material directly from a publisher or recognized commercial distributor. Check the actual seller: a third-party marketplace seller may not qualify. Material remains subject to the prison's content restrictions.

Sources: TDOC mail, TDOC Policy 507.02

Approved property and commissary packages

Packages must come from an approved contract vendor, not a box packed at home. Eligibility and quantity depend on custody level and disciplinary restrictions. Confirm eligibility before paying.

The Tennessee Union Supply website now directs TDOC adult and CoreCivic package orders to CorrectPay. Select the correct facility and recipient there; a package order is separate from a JPay trust-account deposit.

Sources: TDOC Policy 507.02, Current package routing

Online, telephone and MoneyGram

JPay's Tennessee deposit form lists online service, the 24-hour telephone line (800) 574-5729 and MoneyGram receive code 6188. Review the recipient, service and final fee before authorizing payment.

Sources: JPay Tennessee form

Mail a money order to JPay—not the prison

Make the money order payable to JPay and include the completed Tennessee deposit slip. The form requires sender details, a valid email and mailing address, and the recipient's name, ID and institution. Do not include personal letters or notes.

The form lists a $999.99 maximum and no JPay money-order fee. It allows up to ten business days for processing after receipt, in addition to postal travel time. A JPay account is not required for this method.

Sources: JPay Tennessee form

Keep the payment routes separate

Do not put deposit funds in an ordinary letter to the Phoenix scanning address. Use the current provider's instructions for the service you actually need, and retain the receipt. Jail411 does not accept payments or collect account credentials.

Sources: TDOC Policy 507.02, JPay Tennessee form

Holiday Inn Express Nashville W I-40/Whitebridge Rd

The included breakfast starts at 6 a.m. Compare that with your confirmed prison check-in time and leave time for the drive and security process.

Phone

(615) 353-0700

Breakfast

Included; property FAQ lists 6–10 a.m.

Useful amenities

Complimentary parking, Wi-Fi, guest laundry, fitness center and seasonal outdoor pool

Transport

The property lists no shuttle

Driving distance

About 4.4 miles from the prison street address via Cockrill Bend Way

Sources: IHG property, Mapped driving route

Comfort Inn Nashville West

Ask about accessible room features, pet charges, breakfast hours and cancellation terms before reserving.

Phone

(615) 356-0888

Breakfast

Free hot breakfast; verify serving hours for your dates

Useful amenities

Free parking, Wi-Fi, fitness center, seasonal outdoor pool; pet-friendly policy

Check-in / check-out

3 p.m. / 11 a.m.; confirm current booking terms

Driving distance

About 4.2 miles from the prison street address via Cockrill Bend Way

Sources: Choice property, Mapped driving route

Waffle House — 6930 Charlotte Pike

The official Nashville directory showed this location open 24 hours on the review date. Confirm service for the day of your visit before relying on an early breakfast or late meal.

Driving distance

About 7.0 miles from the prison street address via Cockrill Bend Way and I-40 W

Sources: Waffle House, Mapped driving route

Chick-fil-A Charlotte Pike

The official location page lists a 6 a.m. opening Tuesday–Saturday and Sunday closure. Monday's displayed hours were affected by the Labor Day review date, so verify Monday separately. Drive-thru and breakfast are listed. This is not a Sunday breakfast option.

Driving distance

About 5.7 miles from the prison street address via Cockrill Bend Way and Charlotte Pike

Sources: Chick-fil-A, Mapped driving route

Parking and the final approach

The prison street address identifies the campus, not a verified parking stall or visitor entrance. Ask the visitation desk where to report, how early to arrive and what to do with belongings before leaving your vehicle. Hotel parking does not establish prison parking arrangements.

Sources: TDOC visiting, TDOC Riverbend

Health concerns or a family emergency

Call Riverbend's main number and ask which staff member handles your concern. For a family emergency requiring a call to the incarcerated person, TDOC directs families to the facility chaplain. Do not send private medical or booking documents to Jail411.

Sources: TDOC Riverbend, TDOC phones

Property pickup and release planning

A current public Riverbend property-pickup schedule was not found in the reviewed sources. Contact the institution before making a pickup trip; do not assume visitation approval also authorizes property collection.

For release-related arrangements, ask the institution which case-management or release staff can assist. The prison page does not establish an individual's release date or approved destination.

Sources: TDOC Riverbend

Confirm location when needed

If you need the current institution or TDOC identification number before writing or paying, use TDOC's official lookup. Its results are not held by Jail411.

Sources: TDOC mail