Seniors take leadership roles in yard theater program
This season's production is a musical about a group of young people trapped in a building. Administration has approved it as "not about us."
Read MoreWe are
Inmates
Welcome to Georgetown, Delaware's premier tuition-free, maximum-rigor K-12 facility. You didn't choose the Purple Prison. A blind, randomized lottery chose you.
EnterEndureExit
About the Facility
A supportive lockdown environment
The Purple Prison is a tuition-free, public charter facility located just off the airport road in Georgetown, Delaware. Opened in September 2000 after roughly three years of planning by a Founding Board, it has since grown into a two-campus correctional-academic complex with a distinctive purple roofline visible from the sky, from the highway, and from space, probably.
We are proud to be the only facility in Sussex County where the warden is called the "Head of School," the guards are called "Deans," the yard has a regulation soccer pitch, and the sentence is thirteen years with no time off for good behavior. Our students consistently perform at high levels on mandatory state achievement tests, largely because there is nothing else to do.
Our vision is to be the premier K-12 detention system in the state of Delaware. Vision Statement (parody)
Our mission is to create a supportive lockdown environment with accelerated sentencing opportunities that prepare students to Enter, Endure, and Exit. Mission Statement (parody)
1,190
Approved Capacity
per the charter, not per the fire marshal's mood
13
Year Sentence
K through 12, consecutive, no parole
2
Campuses
Minimum security (Wilson Rd) & Maximum security (Airport Rd)
0
Days Since Last Dress Code Violation
someone always sags
Cell Blocks & Amenities
Everything a growing inmate needs
From standard-issue uniforms to a fully staffed aquatics center (the only prison in America with a moat you can take swim lessons in), the Purple Prison offers accelerated everything.
Standard-Issue Uniforms
Regulation polo and khakis from an approved vendor. Clothing may not be too tight, too revealing, or worn "on the hips." Sagging is a Level 2 infraction. Purple is not optional. Purple is a lifestyle.
Intake by Blind Lottery
Applications open in early November and close in early January. If demand exceeds capacity (it does), a blind, randomized drawing decides your fate. Siblings of current inmates may receive preference. Everyone else receives a waitlist number and a dream.
The Moat (Aquatics Center)
Swimming lessons, fitness classes, and Red Cross lifeguard certification. Yes, our facility trains its own lifeguards. Escape by water has never been attempted. We're a little disappointed.
Transfer Vehicles
Big yellow transport buses depart from across the county at hours that should be illegal. Seating assignments are enforced by seniority, volume, and whoever got there first.
Accelerated Sentencing
AP courses, STEM and Liberal Arts pathways, and "rigorous expectations for behavior and achievement." Translation: your homework has homework.
The Cafetorium
Mess hall by day, theater by night, gymnasium when it rains. One room, three identities, zero acoustics. Donor names are displayed prominently so you know who to thank for the folding chairs.
Daily Count
A day in the Purple Prison
All times approximate. All times mandatory.
| Time | Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 06:45 | Transfer vehicle pickup | It is still dark. It is always still dark. |
| 07:40 | Morning Count (Homeroom) | Lanyard visible. Polo tucked. Hope suppressed. |
| 08:00 | Block A: Accelerated Math | Calculators permitted. Calculators judged. |
| 09:30 | Block B: Literature | Today's reading: something with a prison metaphor. Everyone notices. No one says it. |
| 11:15 | Mess Hall | Twenty-two minutes. Trays counted. Pudding is currency. |
| 11:40 | Yard | Weather permitting. Weather rarely permitting. |
| 12:05 | Block C: Science | Goggles are a form of restraint if you think about it. |
| 13:35 | Block D: Exploratory | Choose your own adventure, from the two adventures available. |
| 14:45 | Conditional Release | Sports practice counts as work release. |
| 21:30 | Lights out | Homework remains. Homework always remains. |
Latest Bulletins
News from the yard
Cafetorium floor shines after generous donation
The floor is now reflective enough that inmates can check their polo is tucked without a mirror. Compliance is up 4%.
Read MoreThird graders host annual Wax Museum
Minimum-security inmates stood perfectly still for forty minutes while adults walked past them. Staff described it as "the dream."
Read MoreStudents plant trees along the perimeter
Trees will provide shade, oxygen, and, in roughly forty years, a viable climbing route. Facilities has been notified.
Read MoreClass of 2026 released at commencement ceremony
One hundred and some inmates walked out the front doors in purple robes as families cheered. Several immediately enrolled in four more years somewhere else.
Read MoreInmates create "outdoor classroom oasis"
It is a bench. It is a very nice bench. It is still on the property.
Read MoreCommissary & Giving
The "Doing Time Higher" Campaign
State funding is dispersed differently to public charter facilities than to traditional ones. So, like every good institution, we pass the hat. Every tier is fictional. No button on this page takes money. Please do not send us pudding.
Enter
$5
- One (1) replacement lanyard
- One (1) extra pudding, mess hall discretion
- Your name whispered approvingly in the hallway
Not a real offer.
Endure
$500
- Sponsor a classroom sign that reads "This room brought to you by someone who got out"
- Cover an AP exam fee for an inmate who is already stressed enough
- A folding chair in the cafetorium is named after you until it folds
Also not a real offer.
Exit
$10,000+
- A bench in the yard. Yes, that bench.
- Your name on the PA system every time it feeds back
- Permanent recognition on social media, the scoreboard, and the hearts of the Sports Boosters
Extremely not a real offer.
Voices from the Yard
What our inmates say
All testimonials are fictional and composited from the general vibe of every group chat that has ever existed.
"I got out in 2019. I still tuck in my shirt when I hear a bell. Would recommend."
Former Inmate, Class of 2019
"The moat is honestly incredible. I got my lifeguard certification here. I have never once needed to guard a life, but I could."
Current Inmate, Block D
"My child came home speaking fluently about the International Baccalaureate and refusing to sag. I don't know what happened in there, but their GPA is up."
Parent / Visitation Pass Holder
"Three stars. The purple is a lot. The education is great. The purple is a lot."
Anonymous, Middle Block
Intake
Ready to Enter?
Intake runs early November through early January. Register with your resident district first, then submit a School Choice application, then wait for the lottery to decide whether you are Seahawk material. Enrollment invitations go out in the spring. Waitlists stay active through the start of the school year. Hope stays active indefinitely.
We don't run a lottery. We barely run a website.