Sandhills Youth Center

North Carolina Department of Public Safety

Sandhills Youth Center
PO Box 1870
Raeford NC 28376
(910) 944-2359
Closed June 2003

Sandhills Youth Center, near Raeford, was a minimum security prison for male youth at the time of its closing in June 2003.

The prison's main building at one time served as the state's Tuberculosis Sanitarium for Negroes, built by the Federal Works Agency in 1939. The building houses inmates in six wings and a 14-bed segregation unit.

In 1959, the site became the Samuel Leonard Training School. A gym was built in 1960. In 1970, nine classrooms, two shop areas and administrative offices were added. In January 1974, the building was transferred to the Department of Correction and opened the following month as Sandhills Youth Center.

Originally, Sandhills received inmates who transferred from the higher security Western Youth Institution. The inmates were younger than 18.

In 1977, Sandhills began to receive inmates who were 18-21 and in 2002 began receiving inmates ages 18-25. Most of the prison's inmates are now received from Polk and Western Youth Institutions.

Sandhills Youth Center School offers academic courses in language arts, social studies, science and math on the Adult Basic Education and GED levels. The school also offers Title I and Exceptional Students classes as well as a health education program, a library and guidance counseling services. Sandhills Community College works with the prison to provide vocational classes in electrical wiring, basic and advanced computer classes and employability classes

Prisoners may take part in a number of self help programs including Prison Fellowship, Re-entry Life Skills, Basic Employment Skill Training, Cognitive Behavior Intervention, Social Education Interaction Groups, Napoleon Hill, Character Education, Think Smart presenters, State Alliance for Recovery and General Education (SARGE), Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, DART aftercare, DART-24 and on-site college classes.

Inmates may participate in worship services, Yokefellows Bible study and other programs with community volunteers.

Inmates are assigned to work on community work squads and Department of Transportation road squads and as janitors, kitchen workers and maintenance workers.

DIRECTIONS: Take U.S. 1 to N.C. 211 to McCain.

Inmates graduate JobStart ready December 2000