Gaston Correctional Center, NC

To visit at Gaston Correctional Center, you must be on the offender's approved visitor list. The offender provides blank application forms—complete yours fully and return it yourself. Applications submitted by offenders or incomplete forms won't be accepted. If you're 16 or older, attach an approved picture ID. False information or certain criminal history can get your application denied. Visits are by appointment and should be scheduled and confirmed the day before. Under normal circumstances, offenders get one visit per week for up to two hours, with no more than three approved visitors per session. Some offenders are limited to non-contact visits. Expect to clear a metal detector and follow dress code rules. Leave cellphones, smartwatches, cameras, and recording devices at home.

Gaston Correctional Center contracts with ViaPath/GTL for inmate tablet services—phone calls, texting, digitized mail, education, and entertainment all run through these tablets. Keep in mind that state and federal taxes apply to all offender phone calls. Incarcerated people can purchase minutes for tablet entertainment at the facility canteen using their trust account funds. On your end, you'll handle most things through the vendor's app or web portal rather than the facility directly. Set up an account with ViaPath/GTL to manage calls, messaging, and video visits. Add funds through the vendor system so your loved one can place calls or use paid tablet features.

At Gaston Correctional Center, non-legal incoming letters don't go straight to the housing unit. Instead, they're sent to TextBehind, which screens and scans the mail and delivers a digital copy to the offender's tablet. Send non-legal mail to: TextBehind, P.O. Box 247, Phoenix, MD 21131. Include the offender's full first and last name, OPUS number, and the full facility name (don't abbreviate it). Want the original letter back? Request it from TextBehind within 30 days for $2.50 per letter. Anything not requested within 30 days gets shredded. TextBehind returns packages to the sender—contact the facility directly for package rules. Don't send books or magazines through TextBehind. Order them from a publisher or online retailer and ship to the prison street address. Religious correspondence course materials must be pre-approved before they can be forwarded.

The North Carolina Department of Adult Correction uses ViaPath for deposits at Gaston Correctional Center. Options include web, mobile, phone, walk-in locations, and money orders. One key rule: only people on the offender's approved visitor list can deposit into their trust account. Deposits from anyone else get rejected. For online or mobile deposits, set up a ConnectNetwork account. Using Western Union for a cash deposit? The payment code is "NCDAC TRUST." Mailed money orders must be in U.S. dollars and are limited to $300. They typically post within ten business days, though TouchPay may make funds available sooner. Need help? Call ViaPath at 877-650-4249.