North Carolina Department of Correction

North Carolina Department of Public Safety

County: Buncombe

Inmate capacity: 408

Inmate gender: Male

Custody level: Medium

Staff size: 152

Occupancy: 1989

Administrator: Richard Terry

Craggy Correctional Center

Mailing Address:
2992 Riverside Dr.
Asheville NC 28804

Phone: 828-645-5315
Fax: 828-658-2183

Facility #4630
Courier # 12-68-01

Craggy Correctional Center

Craggy Correctional Center is located near Asheville. It is a medium security prison for adult males.

Old Craggy was dedicated in May 1924 by the Buncombe County Commissioners, Craggy was one of 51 county prisons for which the state assumed responsibility with the passage of the Conner bill in 1931. It was one of 61 prisons renovated or built during the late 1930s to house inmates who worked building roads.

The General Assembly provided $8.4 million for replacement of the old prison with a new 312 bed facility as part of the $28.5 million Emergency Prison Facilities Development program authorized in 1987. The new prison, located about three miles from the old site, opened in May 1989.

The prison has three 104 bed dormitories currently operating at expanded capacity of 136 per dorm and seven support buildings. Craggy was the first state prison to install an electronic intrusion system (EIS) security fence to alert staff to attempted perimeter breaches or escapes.

Inmates may participate in the A New Direction Program (AND), formerly known as Drug Alcohol Recovery Treatment (DART) program. AND is an intensive inpatient treatment in a fast moving, 28 day treatment cycle with lectures, films, educational and therapy groups, as well as individual counseling. Inmates work with professional staff and peer counselors. AND relies heavily on the principles of Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous with group meetings available in the evenings.

Asheville/Buncombe Technical Community College works with the prison to provide vocational classes in Food Service Technology and Facility Maintenance. Classes for adult education and preparation for the GED testing are also available.

Still operating at the old prison site is a Correction Enterprise laundry. Eight Enterprise employees supervise 56 minimum custody inmates who wash daily about 36 loads, with each load containing 200 sets of inmate uniforms, in six industrial sized machines. Other inmate medium custody assignments include Department of Transportation road crews, facility maintenance, janitorial, grounds keeping and food service positions at the prison.

Old Craggy Prison - circa 1955

The state opted to close the old prison and build a new one as part of the Epps v Martin settlement agreement.

Visitation: Days and Hours are as follows:

Sunday 8:30 - 10:30 a.m.; 12:30 – 2:30 p.m.; and 3 – 5 p.m.

The above Visitation time schedules rotate based the inmates’ last name. Inmates are provided a visitation schedule which shows the day and time their visit takes place. They are responsible for advising their visitors of the day and times for their scheduled visits. If visitors are not sure of the day or time for their visit they are encouraged to call before coming. Special visits and non-contact visiting is by appointment only. Visitors need to call (828) 645-5315 ext: 225 in order to schedule special visits.

DIRECTIONS: Take I-40 toward Asheville, NC then take I-240 from either direction east or west. Take the Weaverville exit off of I-240 onto the new I-26 west / U.S. 19/23 north. Follow I-26 west / U.S. 19/23 north to the Woodfin / Merrimon Ave. exit and at the bottom of the ramp make a right turn followed by an immediate left turn at the traffic signal. Go 1.3 miles and take a left onto the Old Marshall Highway. Go approximately 1.6 miles to the first stop sign. Go straight at the stop sign crossing Highway 251 which will be the Buncombe / Craggy Access Road. The first facility in approximately .5 miles is Buncombe Correctional Center and the second facility approximately .5 miles further is Craggy correctional Center.