A thirty-six bed control unit also built in the 1950s continues in use as a high security segregation facility.

The inmate population at the NSP typically consists of offenders aged 21 years and above, serving medium to longer sentences.

The Nebraska State Penitentiary uses the Unit Management concept designed to improve control and staff/inmate relationships by dividing the larger institution population into smaller, more manageable groups and to improve and personalize the delivery of rehabilitative services.

The NSP offers a variety of education/rehabilitation programs designed to enhance an inmate's chances for successful community adjustment upon release.

In August 2023, the Nebraska Department of Corrections purchased a 300 acre parcel north of Lincoln[1] on which a new 1,512 capacity multi-custody replacement facility for the penitentiary will be constructed.