How to visit, scheduling, dress code, and visitor requirements
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.
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
Before you can visit someone at Gaston Correctional Center, you need to be on their approved visitor list. Here's exactly how the NC DAC approval process works—and what tends to slow things down.
Planning an in-person visit at Gaston Correctional Center? Here's what matters: visits are appointment-only, you should confirm the day before, and there are strict limits on how often and how long you can visit.
Staying connected with someone at Gaston Correctional Center usually means using one of two tools: facility tablets or video visits. Here's how each works, what you'll need on your end, and how money and minutes factor in.
Ask the offender for a blank visitor application form and fill it out completely. Return the application yourself—forms submitted by offenders or incomplete applications aren't accepted. If you're 16 or older, include an approved picture ID. You can't visit until facility staff approves you.
Yes. In-person visits are by appointment, and you should schedule and confirm the visit the day before (by phone or email). Visits are normally one session per week (up to two hours) with a maximum of three approved visitors per session, and some offenders may be restricted to non-contact visits by appointment.
Video visits are limited to people who are already on the incarcerated person’s approved visitors list, so you’ll need to be approved through the visitor application process first. Check your approved status before you try to schedule a video visit.
Mailing a letter to someone at Gaston Correctional Center? It won't go directly to the prison. All non-legal mail routes through TextBehind in Maryland first, where it's screened, scanned, and delivered electronically to the recipient's tablet.
Sending money to someone at Gaston Correctional Center is straightforward once you pick the right method and follow the deposit rules. Here are the options available through ViaPath, plus the restrictions that can cause deposits to be rejected or delayed.
Getting books or faith-based materials to someone at Gaston Correctional Center is straightforward—if you use the right channel. The biggest mistakes? Sending publications the wrong way, or tucking religious course materials into a regular letter.
