Scheduling Your First Visit to Foothills: What to Know Before You Call

Foothills Correctional Institution sits about 3.5 miles south of Morganton on 180 acres, right next to Western Youth Institution. Knowing this helps you verify you're contacting the right facility - and plan your drive once your appointment is confirmed.

Before scheduling anything, make sure your visitor application is already approved. At Foothills and other NCDAC prisons, facility staff must approve your application before any visit can happen. Call to book before you're approved? You'll just end up waiting on that approval step anyway.

In-person visits are by appointment only. Call or email the prison where your loved one is currently housed to request a slot. If they've been transferred, schedule with wherever they are now - not where they were last month.

• ✓ Confirm you’re calling/emailing the prison where your loved one is currently housed
• ✓ Ask what information they need from you to set the appointment
• ✓ Ask whether there are any extra steps for first-time visitors
• ✓ Verify what to bring with you on visit day (and what not to bring)
• ✓ Ask what could cause an appointment to be canceled or turned away at the door

Once you've scheduled, call the day before to confirm the facility's visitation status. A quick check can save you a wasted trip if something changes last minute. And when planning your timing, leave room for the entry process - don't cut it close.

Can't make it to Foothills in person? Video visits are available, but you still need to be on the approved visitors list. Use the Getting Out Visits app, or connect from home on a computer.

You can do video visits two ways: on-demand or scheduled. On-demand works when you have a small window and want to try for a quick connection. Scheduling ahead lets you coordinate childcare, work breaks, or time zones so you're ready when the visit starts.