How to visit, scheduling, dress code, and visitor requirements
Visits at Craven Correctional Institution are by appointment only. You'll need to schedule directly with the prison and call the day before to confirm visitation status. Before booking, the incarcerated person must request blank visitor application forms, mail them to you, and you'll return a completed application for staff approval. Each offender can have up to 18 approved visitors (adults and minors combined) and may submit no more than 18 applications total. Under normal circumstances, offenders get one visiting session per week, lasting up to two hours. If you're 16 or older, expect pat/frisk screening and electronic device searches. Cell phones are contraband—leave them in your car. Whether you get contact or non-contact visits depends on security validation for certain Security Threat Group levels.
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Before you can visit someone at Craven Correctional, you need to be on their approved visitor list. That means submitting a visitor application and waiting for facility approval.
Your first visit runs smoother when you handle two things upfront: get approved as a visitor, then schedule your appointment with the facility. Follow the steps below to lock in your visit and avoid getting turned away at the door.
The incarcerated person must request blank visitor application forms and mail them to you. Complete and return the application as instructed—staff must approve it before any visit can be scheduled.
Each offender may have up to 18 approved visitors (adults and minors) and may submit a maximum of 18 visitor applications.
If you’re 16 or older, expect pat/frisk screening and electronic device searches. Cell phones are considered contraband and aren’t allowed at the facility.
Volunteers in North Carolina prisons fill practical, hands-on roles that make a real difference. Education support is one common path — you might tutor someone in a specific subject, help with coursework, or work with people building basic skills in a classroom setting. There are also behind-the-scenes opportunities. Some volunteers assist staff with daily office tasks, which frees up employees to focus on direct work with offenders. If you're wondering whether you "have something to offer," keep in mind that volunteering isn't limited to one personality type. Some roles are people-facing. Others are more administrative.
If your loved one is at Craven Correctional, most day-to-day communication happens through the prison tablet system—calls, texts, and scanned mail all run through it. Here's how it works and what you can do from your end to keep things funded and running smoothly.
For regular mail to Craven Correctional Institution, use this address: P.O. Box 839, Vanceboro, NC 28586.
