Rivers Correctional Institution (CI) – GEO

Rivers Correctional Institution (CI) – GEO basic information to help guide you through what you can do for your inmate while they are incarcerated. The facility's direct contact number: 252-358-5200

This facility is for adult inmates.

The inmates housed at Rivers Correctional Institution (CI) – GEO located at 145 Parker’s Fishery Rd in Winton, NC are placed according to their custody level and are incarcerated by a private company contracted by a government agency and are paid a per diem or monthly rate, either for each inmate in the facility or for each bed available. The facility is well-trained and well-staffed. This doesn't come without some controversy as the "price of incarceration" is big business and critics claim there is a monetary benefit to keeping people locked up. The flip side is this facility undergoes rigorous inspections and are some of the be maintained in the US.

For inmates that show a willingness to learn new things, there are educational and vocational training programs here that will prepare them for a successful reentry when released.

Rivers Correctional Institution is a privately owned prison in unincorporated Hertford County, North Carolina, operated by GEO Group under contract with the Federal Bureau of Prisons since its construction in 2001. The prison, on 257 acres (104 ha) of land, was specially built to house prisoners from the District of Columbia. It is about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the town of Winton and about 200 miles from Washington, DC.

FACILITY DESCRIPTION: Located on a 257-acre tract in a rural area west of Winton, North Carolina, in Hertford County, the facility is a 347,155 sq. ft. campus design with four housing buildings, indoor and outdoor recreational areas, a central programs building, an administrative building exterior to the two perimeter fences, a prison industries building, and four perimeter guard towers. Inmates at CI Rivers are housed in two-person cells. The healthcare unit’s design is consistent with the predicted needs of the population. A large, fully equipped kitchen provides meals for inmates and staff.

BACKGROUND The National Capital Revitalization Act of 1997 mandated that the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) house District of Columbia sentenced felons in private contract facilities. The BOP adopted a course of action that included soliciting competitive bids for contract facilities, closing the existing Lorton facility, and transferring the inmates to the contracted facilities. On March 7, 2000, the BOP signed a contract with The GEO Group, Inc. (GEO) to provide and operate a low security, adult male facility in Winton, North Carolina.

SCOPE OF WORK: GEO provides comprehensive correctional services to the BOP that include designing, building, financing, owning, operating and managing this double-cell, state-of-the-art correctional facility for low-security adult males. In addition to educational programs covering GED, ESL and ABE courses, vocational training is available in building construction, commercial driving, and computer technology. Life skills training offered to inmates includes parenting techniques, residential drug abuse programs, and “Doing Time with the Right Mind” – a program designed to teach inmates time management, conflict resolution, and preparation for re-entry into society. Inmates have access to a law library, general interest library, and religious services. Inmate services include healthcare, food services, laundry, commissary, and indoor and outdoor recreational facilities. The facility also offers an industry program called Wheels for the World, a program that donates wheelchairs to the less fortunate and disabled around the world and allows inmates to learn the basics of wheelchair repair.

Health Services: Inmates are initially provided with an intake examination. Routine and emergency health care and dental care are also available to the inmate population. While emergency care is available 24 hours a day, inmates must submit a sick call form in order to be evaluated for routine or chronic health care concerns.

Education Services: CI Rivers offers GED, English-as-a-Second Language (ESL), and Adult Basic Education (ABE) courses to the inmate population. Inmates without a GED or high school diploma are required to attend courses. High school diplomas and post-secondary programs are available through paid correspondence programs.

Vocational Training: CI Rivers offers vocational training in Building Construction, Commercial Driving, and Computer Technology.

Library Services: CI Rivers inmates have access to a law library, leisure library, general interest library, and religious services. In the leisure library inmates can check out fiction and nonfiction books, newspapers, and magazines. In the law library inmates can conduct legal research and prepare legal filings.

Commissary: Inmates can shop once per week at the institution’s Commissary. Items such as food, drinks, hygiene products, and electronics can be purchased.

Recreation Services: CI Rivers offers indoor and outdoor recreation opportunities. These include arts and crafts, physical fitness, sports, board and card games, and more.

visitation Info

Rivers Correctional Institution (CI) – GEO – Visitation

You can only visit an inmate if they have placed you on their visiting list and you have been cleared by the BOP.

Who can an inmate add to their visiting list?

Immediate Family:

• Mother
• Father
• Step-parent(s)
• Foster parent(s)
• Brothers
• Sisters
• Spouse 
• Children 

Relatives:

• Grandparents
• Uncles
• Aunts
• In-laws
• Cousins

Other types of approved visitors:

• No more than 10 friends/associates
• Foreign officials 
• Members of religious groups including clergy
• Members of civic groups
• Employers (former or prospective)
• Sponsors
• Parole advisors
• Attorneys

In certain circumstances such as when an inmate first enters prison or is transferred to a new prison, a visiting list might not exist yet. In this case, immediate family members who can be verified by the information contained in the inmate's Pre-Sentence Report, may be allowed to visit. However, if there is little or no information available about a person, visiting may be denied. You should always call the prison ahead of time to ensure your visit will be permitted.

Dress Code
Wear clothing that is appropriate for a large gathering of men, women, and young children. Wearing inappropriate clothing (such as provocative or revealing clothes) may result in your being denied visitation.

The following clothing items are generally not permitted but please consult the visiting policy for the specific facility as to what attire and items are permitted in the visiting room:

• revealing shorts
• halter tops
• bathing suits
• see-through garments of any type
• crop tops
• low-cut blouses or dresses
• leotards
• spandex

• miniskirts
• backless tops
• hats or caps
• sleeveless garments
• skirts two inches or more above the knee
• dresses or skirts with a high-cut split in the back, front, or side
• clothing that looks like inmate clothing (khaki or green military-type clothing)

Visiting Duration
By law, an inmate gets at least four hours of visiting time per month but usually the prison can provide more. However, the Warden can restrict the length of visits or the number of people who can visit at once, to avoid overcrowding in the visiting room.

General Behavior
Because many people are usually visiting, it is important visits are quiet, orderly, and dignified. The visiting room officer can require you to leave if either you or the inmate is not acting appropriately.

Physical Contact
In most cases, handshakes, hugs, and kisses (in good taste) are allowed at the beginning and end of a visit. Staff may limit contact for security reasons (to prevent people from trying to introduce contraband) and to keep the visiting area orderly. The Federal Bureau of Prisons does not permit conjugal visits.