Swannanoa Correctional Center for Women

County: Buncombe

Inmate capacity: 165

Inmate gender: Female

Custody level: Minimum

Staff Size: 75

Occupancy: July 2008

Superintendent: Debbie Hughes

Swannanoa Correctional Center for Women

Mailing Address:
PO Box 609
Black Mountain NC 28711-0609

Street Address:
55 Lake Eden Road
Black Mountain NC 28711

Phone 828-259-6000
Fax 828-686-0538

Facility #4635
Courier 12-84-09

Swannanoa Correctional Center for Women opened on July 7, 2008. Women previously housed at Black Mountain Correctional Center for Women were transferred to Swannanoa on that date.

In November 2006, the General Assembly approved a plan by the Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (DJJDP) and the North Carolina Department of Correction (DOC) to share use of the Swannanoa Valley Youth Development Center (SVYDC) campus. Under the plan, DJJDP will continue to operate the southern part of the campus as a youth development center for male juvenile offenders. DOC is moving its operations from Black Mountain Correctional Center for Women and will operate the northern part of the SVYDC campus as a prison facility for adult females.

The long term goal of both departments is to effect a complete transition of the Swannanoa Valley campus to DOC in three phases. In Phase I, DOC will increase the female population in Buncombe County from 80 inmates to 165 inmates, supervised by a staff of 79 employees. DOC accepted possession of the northern part of the Swannanoa campus on Jan. 18, 2008, and now provides all substantive maintenance for the entire Swannanoa campus. DOC and DJJDP are working to finalize any remaining operational issues related to joint use of the Swannanoa property, including maintenance and food service issues.

With the move into Sloop Cottage, DOC will continue with needed renovations to Greenwood Cottage and the vocational building. DOC expects to complete the renovations to Greenwood and increase the population on the campus to approximately 133 by March 2009. DOC then could finalize substantive renovations to Sloop and increase capacity to 165 by September 2009.

Directions: Interstate 40 west to exit 59, turn right off the ramp to the traffic light. Turn right onto U.S. 70 East. At the first intersection, turn left onto Whittson Avenue. At the stop sign, turn left onto Old U.S. 70 to the first traffic light. Turn left onto Lake Eden Road. Turn left at Division of Prisons Facility Sign onto access road, then left into the prison gate.