Polk Correctional Institution

County: Granville
Inmate capacity: 904
Inmate gender: Male
Custody level: Close
Staff size: 524
Year opened: 1997

Polk Correctional Institution houses inmates in both single cells and dormitories. When Polk opened in 1997, its main mission was to process newly-admitted youthful offenders between the ages of 19 and 21. The prison also houses inmates that participate in job assignments and other programs. It is a close-custody prison, but it is also approved to house inmates assigned to maximum control, intensive control, disciplinary segregation and safekeeping status.

Polk's high-security maximum control unit (HCON) opened in October 1998. This high-security concept in correctional design is intended for the state's most violent and assaultive offenders. The "Supermax" (HCON) unit in Butner was the first of its kind in North Carolina.

Due to the demand of prison space, in 2003, Polk's age criteria for inmates changed from 18-21 to 19-25. In October 2005, the facility changed its name from Polk Youth Institution to Polk Correctional Institution to reflect this older population, including the HCON unit.

HISTORY

Polk Correctional Institution officially opened November 15, 1997 when inmates were transferred to the new facility. The new prison in Butner replaced an old unit on Blue Ridge Road in Raleigh. The original Polk facility acquired its name in 1920 from Col. William Polk, a decorated officer in the Revolutionary War. It was built on the grounds of Camp Polk, a U.S. Army tank base during World War I. Initially, inmates farmed the site.

VISITATION

Visitation schedules for inmate's housed in Regular Population are conducted by appointment only:

Tuesday, Thursday: 1 - 3 p.m.; Saturday: 9 - 11 a.m.

Inmates housed in Administrative Segregation, Disciplinary Segregation, HCON, Protective Custody and Safekeepers visit by appointment only. These will be non-contact visits.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call (919) 575-3070, ext. 8903. The appointments are scheduled for one-hour periods as listed below:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 11:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m., 12:45 - 1:45 p.m ,1:45 - 2:45 p.m

It is the responsibility of the inmate to notify his visitors if he is placed in segregation.

Inmates are allowed to only one visitation period per week. A maximum of three visitors may visit. All visitors must arrive together and be on the approved visitation list. Any exception to the visitation schedule must be requested in writing and approved at least 24 hours in advance by the superintendent or his designee.

Tour groups are welcome upon approval.

DIRECTIONS
From Raleigh (Crabtree Valley Mall): Take NC 50 North to Creedmoor. Go through Main Street until you see a Southern States on the left. Turn left at Southern States. Go through the stop light onto NC 56. Keep straight and go through four stop lights. At the fifth stop light, turn right onto Central Avenue (passing the Post Office, State Employees Credit Union, Butner Fire Department and Police Station) to Westbrook Road (at water tower). Turn left onto Westbrook and take an immediate right onto Veazey Road. Follow Veazey Road until you see the entrance to Polk Youth Institution on the left.

From Durham: Take I-85 north exit 189 (Butner). This will lead to Central Avenue. Continue straight on Central Avenue and follow the directions above.

« this page last modified 03/07/17 »