Craven Correctional Institution
Craven Correctional Institution is a medium-security prison for male inmates that is located in Vanceboro, North Carolina. The facility can house approximately 850 offenders and is managed by the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.
Craven Correctional Institution is one of the state's largest prison processing centers. Convicted felons from North Carolina jails enter the system by first going through processing at the medium security prison.
During the three-to-four week period that they are at Craven, new admissions are tested, evaluated, and interviewed to determine assignments to prisons, jobs, and programs. More than 400 inmates process through Craven Correctional Institution each month.
Prison Insights
Craven 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. Upon arrival at Craven CI for processing, offenders will not be able to receive visits for 14 days. Regular visiting hours are Saturdays from 9 - 11 a.m. and 2 - 4 p.m., and Sundays from 9 - 11 a.m.
Regular visitation appointments can be made by telephone Tuesday-Friday, between 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 12:30 - 4 p.m. on a first-come, first-serve basis by calling 252-244-8061. No calls will be accepted on Mondays.
Special visits are available during the week, subject to certain restrictions. Requests for special visits must be submitted in writing, explaining the need for exception to regular visiting.
Visiting Application
Before you can visit your inmate, you must complete an application and have it approved. 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 Craven Correctional Institution.
Click here for more detailed information about visiting an inmate at Craven 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
Craven Correctional Institution
600 Alligator Road
Vanceboro, NC 28586
Driving Directions: https://goo.gl/maps/VAkcNUNwzbKXx3Ph8
General Phone Number
252-244-3337
Inmate Mailing Address(es)
Inmate Name, OPUS Number
Craven Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 839
Vanceboro, NC 28586
All Prison facilities encourage family and friends to write to offenders. For security reasons, all incoming mail is checked to see if it contains any illegal or unauthorized items.
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 Craven 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 Craven 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
Because Craven Correctional Institution is a processing center for inmates entering the North Carolina Department of Public Safety – and they are only at the facility for approximately one month – there are no programs for inmates.
Pictures of Craven Correctional Institution
Careers at Craven Correctional Institution
If you are interested in a career with the North Carolina Department of Public Safety and would like to work at the Craven Correctional Institution, you can find out more information by clicking here.