Wilmington Residential Facility for Women

County: New Hanover

Inmate capacity: 36

Inmate gender: Female

Custody level: Minimum

Staff size: 11

Occupancy: 1976

Administrator: Laura Overstreet

Wilmington Residential Facility for Women
(Closed)

Mailing Address:
PO Box 4880
Wilmington NC 28406

Street Address:
76 Darlington Ave
Wilmington NC 28403

Facility #3050
Courier # 04-45-02

NC State Seal

Originally established in 1976 as a Treatment Facility for Women, Wilmington Residential Facility for Women was one of six treatment facilities funded through a federal grant to provide housing for female offenders. By the summer of 1985, all of the treatment facilities had closed, except the one in Wilmington.

In January, 1986, Wilmington Residential Facility moved from North Carolina Avenue to Wrightsville Avenue to a site formally used as a family care home for the elderly. This site provided housing for 14 female inmates.

In June 1993, Wilmington Residential Facility for Women moved to Darlington Avenue into a new leased building designed and built to house 26 female inmates. In April 1996, an additional 10 inmates were sent for housing. The day room was moved into the facility conference room and the day room became a housing area.

A home-like atmosphere, combined with the necessary security, provides a positive environment for inmates to prepare for their return to society.

The prison receives minimum-security offenders from the state's other prisons for women. From the population of 36 inmates, four are assigned to work within the facility and 32 are expected to successfully maintain a work release job. Qualified inmates may participate in study release part-time while maintaining a full time job and receive community or home leave passes. Inmates can also participate in a variety of on-site programs designed to foster responsible behavior and aid self-improvement.

These programs are designed to help offenders build ties to businesses and services in the community, so the offender can start a new successful life upon release from prison. This is the only prison program fully funded by the state that operates as a residential facility.

Visitation is allowed each Sunday, with the exception of Christmas Day should it occur on Sunday, from 12:30 p.m. until 2:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. Visiting is always held in the dining room of the facility; therefore, no food or drinks are allowed.

Visiting is by division of the alphabet by the first letter of the last name of the inmate. In January of each year A-K visits from 3:00 p.m. until 5 :00 p.m. L-Z visits from 12:30 p.m. until 2:30 p.m. Each month thereafter the times switch, i.e. February A-K visits from 12:30 p.m. until 2:30 p.m.; L-Z visits from 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Only visitors who are family and friends who have been approved through the application policy of the Department of Correction are allowed to visit. This application process begins with the inmate mailing the application to the person.

Attorneys and their paralegal assistants who have been court appointed for representing any inmate should call the facility at (910) 251-2671 and speak with the superintendent regarding visiting.
Clergy, local and State Family Services or Juvenile Court Services and all other special visitors shall be at the request of the inmate.

DIRECTIONS: I-40 becomes N.C. 132 in Wilmington. Travel on N.C. 132 until you pass the Corning Plant on the left. At the next overpass, exit to the right at Exit 8. At the stoplight at the bottom of the ramp, make a left turn onto Market Street. You will pass through five stoplights and then cross railroad tracks. Begin looking for the Super 8 Motel and the Coastal Finance signs. Turn left at the next street, which is Darlington Avenue. The facility is the last building on the right before you enter Market North apartments.