NCDPS – Caledonia Correctional Institution

NCDPS – Caledonia Correctional Institution basic information to help guide you through what you can do for your inmate while they are incarcerated. The facility's direct contact number: 252-826-5621

This facility is for adult inmates.

The inmates housed at Caledonia CI located at 2787 Caledonia Dr in Tillery, NC are placed according to their custody level (determined by a number of factors including the past criminal history and the length of their sentence). There are ample educational and vocational training programs for all inmates, especially ones that show a willingness to learn new things that will prepare them for a better life when they are released. The mission is to promote and prepare the offender to leave in better shape than when they arrived, giving them the best chance to never come back and thus lower the state's recidivism rate.

About 5,500 acres of farmland are under cultivation at Caledonia. Correction Enterprises manages the farm, which contains cattle, chickens and crops such as corn, wheat, cotton, and soybeans. In addition, the inmate's farm 300 acres of produce like tomatoes, sweet corn, collard greens, sweet potatoes, squash, cucumbers, and melons. During the offseason, produce is grown in greenhouses.

Inmates 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. It is 12,770 square feet and has the capability of canning about 500,000 gallons of commodities per year. Inmates may also work as janitors or kitchen help.

Additional jobs available to inmates include kitchen, laundry, janitorial and maintenance duties within the facility. Inmates at Caledonia Correctional Institution can take adult education courses and earn a GED during their incarceration. Vocational courses are offered in culinary arts, plumbing, and masonry. Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous groups and alcohol and substance abuse treatment is also available to inmates.

Halifax Community College works with the prison to provide vocational classes like cooking, block masonry and plumbing. Inmates may participate in classes for adult education and preparation for the GED. Inmates may also take part in self-help programs on substance abuse, stress, Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, DART aftercare, minimum custody readiness and self-improvement.

History – With the intent of putting inmates 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 inmates 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. Inmates moved into the building in 1927. Heat and hot water were provided in 1929.

In 1976, 144 additional cells were built. These cells currently house medium custody adult males. Another 142 cells built in 1980 are used to house medium custody inmates. The prison also has buildings for vocational classes and recreation.

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 inmates 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).

In 1987, the General Assembly provided for the 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 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.

Inmates work on farm crews at the prison farm. They may also be assigned to maintenance or janitorial duties at Caledonia Medium. Inmates may work on labor contracts and manual labor jobs for local governments. Other inmates work in the prison as food service help.

NCDPS – Caledonia Correctional Institution – Inmate Rule Book
NCDPS – Caledonia Correctional Institution – Offender Family Services
NCDPS – Caledonia Correctional Institution – Inmate Programs

Local calls will be a flat rate of $1.25
All long distance calls will be a flat rate of $3.40

visitation Info

NCDPS – Caledonia Correctional Institution – Visitation

Visitation is conducted in three separate sessions, two on Saturday afternoon and one on Sunday afternoon by appointment only and are limited to three approved visitors per session. The three sessions are as follows: Saturday 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Saturday 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Sunday 1:30 p.m.- 3:30 p.m. To schedule a visit at Caledonia Medium, call (252) 826-4967 and at Caledonia Minimum call (252) 826-0051.

Visitation calls are taken Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, 7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. There is no visiting on holidays unless the holiday falls on a regular visiting day.

** Note: this is on a first come first serve basis.**

Special visits: All requested weekday special visits are for immediate family members only. Appointments for special visits may be requested by calling the facility a minimum of 24 hours prior to the date of the desired visit. To arrange a special visit please call the facility you wish to visit at the above numbers. Visits will only be granted between the hours of 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Other visits: All attorneys, clergyman, etc., are required to call the facility a minimum of 24 hours in advance of a requested visit. Appointments may be requested by calling the facility at (252) 826-5621 and ask for ext. 601. Visits will only be granted between the hours of 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.