Caledonia Correctional Institution
Caledonia Correctional Institution is a prison for minimum/medium-security male inmates that is located in Tillery, North Carolina. The facility can house approximately 1,038 offenders and is managed by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.
Caledonia Correctional Institution is located in Halifax County on approximately 7,500 acres that was purchased by the state in 1899. It has been operated since 1892 as a state prison farm.
History
With the intent of putting offenders to work, the General Assembly leased the Caledonia farm in 1890. Nine years later, the property was purchased for $61,000. Roanoke River flooding damaged the farm in 1901 and 1902. In 1919, the prison farm was auctioned in parcels that raised $497,000. However, the auction did not raise more cash because most of the land was purchased on credit.
Flooding problems continued to plague the area and most of the farm was repossessed by the state within five years of the auction. About 600 offenders were returned to the prison and housed in temporary wooden shacks. They cleared the land for farming. In 1925, construction began on a brick dormitory that was completed two years later.
Caledonia's main building originally housed men and women. Eight downstairs dormitories housed men and two upstairs dormitories housed women. In 1976, 144 additional cells were built that currently house medium custody adult males. Another 142 cells built in 1980 are used to house medium custody inmates.
In 1987, the General Assembly provided for creation of the prison with a 208-bed dormitory as part of a $28.5 million Emergency Prison Facilities Development program. Another 208-bed dormitory was added by lawmakers as part of a $55 million prison construction program in 1989.
Caledonia Minimum sits on a 20-acre site about a quarter-mile from Caledonia CI. It houses minimum custody inmates in two buildings, each with four dorms, connected by a central multipurpose area. There are six additional buildings, including an administrative building, program support building, dining hall, vocational building, and multipurpose building.
In August 2014, Tillery Correctional Center merged with Caledonia CI and is now known as Caledonia Minimum. This prison was originally built to provide minimum security beds for offenders working at the state prison farm when Halifax Correctional Center was a medium security unit. (Halifax was later changed back to a minimum-security prison and eventually closed in 1996).
Prison Insights
Caledonia Correctional Institution
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Visiting Hours and Rules
VISITATION TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED
To prevent the potential spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), prison visitation was suspended as of Monday, March 16, 2020. Visitation will resume when conditions are deemed safe.
Regular Visiting Hours
Visitation is by appointment only during one of three sessions. There is a limit of three approved visitors per session, which includes adults and/or children.
All visitors, ages 16 and older, must present valid authorized photo identification. Visitors below the age of 16 must present a valid birth certificate. All visitors will be subjected to a pat/frisk search before entry to the facility.
Caledonia Minimum visitation sessions are Fridays 1:30-3:30 p.m., Saturdays 8:30-10:30 a.m. and 1:30-3:30 p.m., and Sundays 1:30-3:30 p.m. Caledonia Medium visitation sessions are Saturdays: 8:30–10:30 a.m. or 1:30–3:30 p.m., and Sundays 1:30–3:30 p.m.
Visits are scheduled on a first-come, first-serve basis. To schedule visits, call Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. To visit inmates in minimum custody, call 252-826-0051; for medium custody, call 252-826-4967. There is no visitation on holidays, unless the holiday falls on a regular visiting day.
Special visits: Only offenders in restrictive housing or validated SRG members will receive weekday special visits and are for immediate family members only. All other special visit requests will be considered for a modified weekend visit. To request a special visit, call the facility you wish to visit at least 24 hours prior to the date of the desired visit at the above phone numbers. Weekday special visits will be limited to 10-11 a.m. or 1 – 2 p.m.
Other visits: All attorneys, clergy, etc. are required to call the facility at least 24 hours prior to a requested visit. To request an appointment, call 252-826-5621, ext. 601. Visits will only be granted between 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Visiting Application
You must complete an application and have it approved before visiting an inmate. Your inmate must send you a blank application for each adult and minor who wishes to visit. After you complete your application, you must return it to the Caledonia Correctional Institution.
Inmates are allowed no more than one visiting session per week for a maximum of two hours. The maximum number of visitors per visiting session can’t exceed three approved visitors.
Click here for more detailed information about visiting an inmate at Caledonia Correctional Institution.
Dress Code
All visitors must follow the dress code or they will be denied entrance into the facility. Before you are allowed to visit, you must pass through a metal detector search.
- Halter tops, bare midriffs, strapless tops, tube tops, bodysuits, underwear-type T-shirts, tank tops, or sleeveless shirts or dresses that are inappropriately revealing (a sleeveless shirt or dress is considered inappropriately revealing when the female breast or lingerie can be seen), fishnet shirts, or any type of shirt or pants made with see-through fabric are NOT allowed to be worn by any visitor (male or female).
- Visitors may wear Bermuda-length shorts provided they are not more than three inches above the kneecap.
- Females may wear dresses or skirts, but they may not be more than three inches above the kneecap. Slits in skirts and dresses may not be more than three inches above the kneecap. Dresses and skirts for pre-teens may be shorter than three inches above the kneecap.
- Any shirt or other articles of clothing with a picture or language that may be considered profane or offensive by current public standards or Adult Correction standards, or considered STG (gang) related will not be allowed.
- Wave caps, doo rags, and bandanas are not allowed.
- Slacks and pants are to be worn at or above the waist.
- Spandex clothing is prohibited.
- Visitors must wear closed-toed shoes (no flip-flops or stilettos permitted).
- Shirts and shoes are mandatory.
Physical Address
Caledonia Correctional Institution
2787 Caledonia Drive
Tillery, NC 27882
Driving Directions: https://goo.gl/maps/TwDpZRcmjTBZpntb7
General Phone Number
252-826-5621
Inmate Mailing Address(es)
Inmate Name, OPUS Number
Caledonia Correctional Institution
Box 137
Tillery, NC 27887
All inmate mail should be addressed exactly as printed above, so that the full name and OPUS number of the inmate appears on the envelope. For information about sending packages to an inmate, click here.
How to Call an Inmate
You can’t call an inmate at the Caledonia Correctional Institution, but they do have access to phones during daytime hours. For complete details on how to call an inmate in North Carolina, please click here.
How to Send Money
You can send money to your inmate at Caledonia CI through JPay and MoneyGram. All North Carolina state prisons require that you be on the inmate’s approved visitor list to send funds.
The quickest way to send money with your credit or debit card is going online and using JPay.com. Or, download the JPay mobile app from the Apple App Store (for iPhones) or Google Play (for Android phones).
You can also send money by phone using your credit or debit card. Call (800) 574-5729 to speak with a live JPay call center agent 24/7.
Money Orders
Money orders must be made payable to JPay and sent with a deposit slip to:
JPay
P.O. Box 173070
Hialeah, FL 33017
Money order deposit slip available in English here.
Hoja de Depósito para Giros Bancarios disponible en Español aquí.
Walk-In
To make a cash deposit, visit any MoneyGram agent location (including all Walmarts and CVS Pharmacies), and use code 1224. Visit JPay.com to get a list of nearby MoneyGram locations.
Programs For Inmates
About 5,500 acres of farmland are under cultivation at Caledonia. Correction Enterprises manages the farm, which contains a poultry-laying operation and row crop/vegetable operation that plants corn, wheat, and soybeans. In addition, the offenders farm 300 acres of sweet corn, collard greens, sweet potatoes, squash, cucumbers, and melons.
Offenders also work in the prison's cannery. The cannery processes and cans crops grown on the farm for distribution to prison kitchens across the state. The operation is 12,770 square feet and has the capability of canning about 500,000 gallons of commodities per year.
Offenders work on crews at the prison farm. They may also be assigned to maintenance or janitorial duties at Caledonia. Offenders may work on labor contracts and manual labor jobs for local governments. Other offenders work in the prison in food service, barbers, grass cutters, and recreation clerks.
Halifax Community College works with the prison to provide vocational classes like cooking, block masonry, small engine repair, electrical wiring, commercial cleaning, and plumbing. Offenders may participate in classes for adult education and preparation for the GED. Offenders may also take part in self-help programs on substance abuse, stress, Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, DART aftercare, minimum custody readiness and self-improvement.
Pictures of Caledonia Correctional Institution
Careers at Caledonia Correctional Institution
If you are interested in a career with the North Carolina Department of Public Safety and would like to work at the Caledonia Correctional Institution, you can find out more information by clicking here.
