Johnston Correctional Inst., NC

Johnston Correctional Institution welcomes visits from family and friends and offers both in-person and video options. Video visits run through the Getting Out Visits app—they may be on-demand or scheduled, but you must be on the offender's approved visitor list first. To get approved, the offender fills out a visitor application using blank forms from the facility, and staff must approve it before any visit can happen. All visits are by appointment only. Call or email the prison to schedule, then call the day before to confirm. The dress code is strictly enforced: shirts and shoes are required, and revealing or see-through clothing isn't allowed. Security Threat Group (STG) status can also limit visits to contact or non-contact.

Johnston Correctional Institution provides electronic tablets through ViaPath/GTL, the NCDAC contractor. These tablets handle phone calls, texting, digitized mail, education, and entertainment. To add phone time, use ConnectNetwork (ViaPath's authorized portal and mobile app), the vendor's toll-free line, Western Union, or mail-in payments following the listed instructions. The facility also supports AdvancePay prepaid calling, which links funds to a specific phone number—when the incarcerated person calls that number, charges are deducted automatically. All phone calls are limited to 15 minutes. Since third-party vendors run these services, you'll need to set up an account with the approved provider to manage funds, messages, and any tablet or video features.

At Johnston Correctional Institution, all non-legal incoming letters go through TextBehind. The vendor screens and scans your mail, then delivers a digital copy to the offender's tablet—not as paper. Address your letter exactly to TextBehind's Maryland address and include the offender's full name, OPUS number, and "Johnston Correctional Institution." Get the format wrong, and your mail comes back. Original letters are kept only temporarily: request yours within 30 days for $2.50 per letter, or it gets shredded. Packages and publications follow different rules than scanned letters.

Sending money to someone at Johnston Correctional Institution comes with one key restriction: only approved visitors can deposit funds to an offender's account. For mailed deposits, use a money order payable to TouchPay, include the required facility/vendor deposit slip, and send it to TouchPay Holdings, PO Box 174, Houston, TX 77001-0174. Check the facility's send-money page for the Money Transfer Fees schedule (effective August 1, 2023)—fees vary by method and amount. Follow vendor directions exactly to avoid delays: enter the incarcerated person's full booked name and ID as shown, include required forms, and don't add letters or photos. Having trouble? Call ViaPath at 877-650-4249.