Want to bring something to an inmate inside a NC jail? These policies must be followed

Evan Santiago
·4 min read
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A health care worker at the Mecklenburg County jail was fired and charged with a felony after smuggling a cellphone to an inmate, The Charlotte Observer reported.

Days later, a Mecklenburg County detention center officer was fired for providing the same individual with tobacco products and a charger for the cellphone.

Cellphones and tobacco items are considered prohibited “contraband” in North Carolina jails and prisons, according to North Carolina state legislation.

In most cases, inmates are allowed personal items.

What the items can be and the amount of items each inmate is allowed varies from prison to prison. That’s because some prisons require more security and control over what inmates have access to, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.

Other factors include abiding by fire safety codes, availability of storage space and complying with sanitation regulations.

Visitors in North Carolina jails and prisons are often subject to the same level of security when it comes to what items that can be brought onto the premises.

Banned items at North Carolina correctional facilities

According to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, weapons, alcohol, drugs, tobacco and cellphones are all severely prohibited items on prison property. In fact, it is a felony to deliver any such items to an inmate in North Carolina.

Visitors who attempt to provide a cellphone or drugs to an inmate will be subject to a permanent revocation of their visiting privileges. It’s a misdemeanor for a visitor to give tobacco to an inmate, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety says.

Other items visitors are not allowed to bring on their visit include personal items, such as handbags, briefcases, diaper bags, cameras and recording devices, music boxes, cellphones and pagers.

The North Carolina Department of Public Safety suggests that visitors check with the specific prison they are visiting to see what items are prohibited and allowed, as those lists may vary from one facility to another.

It’s not just what you bring, it’s what you wear, too

The North Carolina Department of Public Safety also outlines a strict dress code policy for visitors to inmates in addition to what items they can or cannot bring onto prison property. That policy includes the following, according to the agency’s website:

  • Shirts and shoes are mandatory.

  • Halter tops, bare midriffs, strapless tops, tube tops, bodysuits, underwear-type T-shirts, tank tops, 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.

  • Visitors may wear Bermuda-length shorts provided they are not more than three inches above the kneecap.

  • Females may wear dresses or skirts. Dresses or skirts 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 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.

Mail and postal policies

What items can be sent to an inmate through mail is also very limited. “Cash on delivery” packages are not accepted at prisons or jails, and all items sent to an inmate are subject to inspection, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.

Per the agency’s policy, items that can be sent to inmates in North Carolina jails and prisons include:

• Clothing approved for use by inmates who have been granted community-based privileges.

• Clothing to be used upon release, if received within 15 days of release date.

• Unframed photographs, no larger than 8 inches by 10 inches.

• Legal papers.

• Pre-approved publications.

• Pre-approved religious items.

Similarly to the lists of prohibited items, approved items will vary from prison to prison based on the security level of the facility. The North Carolina Department of Public Safety suggests that visitors learn more about visitation rules and regulations of the facility they plan to visit.