In 1889, the most modern prison for men and women in Austria-Hungary was built in Maribor on the right bank of the Drava River. In 1942, the prison was bombed and partially demolished. With the abolition of the then Maribor Correctional Facility in 1963, which was situated between the main road to the city and the railway line on the right bank of the Drava River, the Maribor prisons moved to the present building in the centre of the city.

The building was built more than a hundred years ago and was not designed for the needs of a prison, but it has been renovated or adapted several times. It is situated on the left bank of the Drava River, in the densely built city centre, and surrounded by traffic roads. On the north side it borders the court with which it is connected with a corridor. It has five floors. The central building which is intended for imprisoned persons is connected through a covered corridor with an administrative building, which was built later. It has four floors. The prison complex is partly surrounded by a 3-metre wall that connects with the walls of both buildings.