Please note that notifications are not provided for promotions or demotions between custody levels, except for promotions to Minimum Custody.

Custody classification is a determination of how much security will be needed to ensure inmates remain safely confined and/or managed. The custody classification level depends on the seriousness of the crime, willingness of the inmate to obey rules and regulations, and perceived potential for attempting escape.  Custody classifications are solely under the authority of Prisons and cannot be changed except by Prisons.

There are three custody levels offenders can be assigned to and each prison or unit within a prison is operated based on these levels.

Close Custody (most restrictive):

• Close Custody is for offenders who need extra security and are under armed, constant supervision. Close custody housing is generally made up of single cells and divided into cellblocks. Case management, work assignments, basic education, counseling and other programs are available to offendersin close custody.

Medium Custody (less restrictions):

• Medium Custody is less restrictive than close custody and offenders are under armed, constant supervision. Medium custody prisons have all programs and activities operating within the unit. Programs include academic and vocational education, substance abuse treatment, psychological and self-improvement programs, varied work assignments, as well as case management services. When working outside the prison, offenders are supervised by armed personnel.

Minimum Custody (least restrictive):

• Minimum Custody is the least restrictive and has the most privileges of the custody grades. Offenders who have been promoted to minimum custody must be within five years of their release date. Offenders convicted of felony crimes, under certain conditions, can be considered for promotion to minimum custody once they are within 60 months of release or within 60 months of their parole eligibility date.

Offenders may become eligible for community-based programs such as Volunteer Passes, Work Release, Study Release, and Home Leaves while housed in Minimum Custody. 

Victims have a right to object to offenders being placed in Community-Based Programs. If you have concerns or object to an offender being assigned to a community-based program, contact  VSS. 

• After sentencing, the offender will initially be housed in the local jail of the county in which the offender was convicted.
• DAC will schedule a time to pick up and transport the offender from the jail to an appropriate prison.  For the security of the offender and the public, information about the day an offender will be transferred to a DAC prison and the name of the prison are not disclosed until after the offender has arrived at the prison.
• The offender is first sent to one of several prisons that has a diagnostic center for intake and processing.
• Diagnostic centers evaluate the offender’s physical and mental health, temperament, education and family, work and criminal histories. It can take up to six weeks before processing is completed and the offender is classified and sent to another prison.
• The offender will be confined in a prison according to bed space, custody level, the offender’s program needs and other factors. An offender may request to be transferred to a prison close to their home; however, this is not a guarantee that the transfer will be granted.
• An offender can be transferred between state prisons many times while serving their sentence. DAC does not notify victims about each transfer.
• You may click here to check on the offender’s location in an NCDAC facility (prison).

While the offender is in prison, will he/she be allowed outside of the prison

DAC offenders may be allowed outside of the prison for a number of reasons:

• For medical care that cannot be provided by DAC;
• For a funeral or to visit a critically ill family member;
• For certain jobs and programs;
• For a permanent and total disability or terminal illness;
• To be held by a county jail for confinement while awaiting a court hearing;
  
  For more information about transfers of state offenders, see the Transfers of an offender section.

What do I do if I am afraid because the offender is confined in a state prison near me

You may click here to check on the offender’s location either in a NC state prison or the NC county of community supervision

As explained in the Transfers of an offender section, offenders are transferred between state prisons for a number of reasons.  If you have safety concerns because you believe that the offender is in a prison very close to you, you may submit a request that the offender be moved to another state prison facility in NC. However, this does not guarantee that the offender will be moved. 

• NC General Statutes states: 148-5.1. Confining inmates away from victims.  If a victim or immediate family member of a victim requests that, for the safety of the victim or family member, an inmate be confined outside the county where the victim or family member resides or is employed, the Department shall make a reasonable effort to house the inmate in a facility in another county. If the inmate is not so housed in another county, the Department shall notify the victim or family member in writing. (2001-433, s. 10; 2001-487, s. 120.)
• A victim or their immediate family member may make a request to have the offender transferred by completing the Opposition to Inmate Location form (below):

   Opposition to Inmate Location form 

• If NCDAC cannot transfer the offender, VSS will notify you of this. In the event that the offender can be transferred out of that county at a later time, VSS will notify you again. This is the only time a victim will be notified of an offender’s transfer. Notifications are not made for general transfers of offenders.

What do I do if I am afraid because the offender is living in the community near me

Offenders who are supervised in the community on probation, parole or post-release supervision are not subject to NC General Statute 148-5.1 as state prison offenders are.

• An offender’s home plan is investigated by the offender’s probation/parole officer (PPO).
• If the PPO believes that the home plan is not appropriate, the PPO may deny the home plan.
• You may contact VSS if you have concerns about where an offender is planning to live and request that VSS staff share your concerns with the PPO. This will be considered by the PPO and, where possible, an alternative home plan may be established.
• Please note that the PPO must balance the housing needs of the offender with victim and community safety as well as with the possibility of the offender being homeless. If the offender is or becomes homeless, then supervising the offender is much more difficult and options for supervision conditions such as electronic house arrest may not be possible.

Offender Locator 

Offender Locator Out of State

Federal Offender Locator

For offenders in NCDAC prison facilities:

• Notifications are not provided for general transfers.
• If an offender requests to be transferred to another state’s prisons, see the Interstate movement of offenders.
• If an offender requests to be transferred to another country’s prisons, the International Prisoner Transfer system requires a victim’s input be requested before making a decision to transfer the inmate to another country.
• If an offender is transferred due to a permanent and total disability or due to a terminal illness, NC General Statutes requires a victim’s input be requested before making a decision to transfer the inmate to a nursing home, hospice or other palliative care location.  For more information regarding these extensions of the limits of confinement, please see NC General Statute 148-4. Control and custody of prisoners; authorizing prisoner to leave place of confinement.

For offenders who are on probation, parole or post-release supervision, notifications are provided about transfers of an offender’s county of supervision or if the offender requests to be transferred out of state.

• Offenders may request to have their community supervision transferred to another county within NC.
• Offenders may also request to have their community supervision transferred to another state.  See the Interstate movement of offenders.

There are a variety of factors which may be a part of a victim’s decision to meet or visit with the offender who committed the crime against them such as the type of crime, the relationship between the victim and the offender before the crime and the impact the crime has had on the victim.  A victim is in not in any way obligated to visit or meet with an offender and the visit will be considered by Prisons only if it is at the request of the victim.  An offender must agree to the visit, but the victim should not feel obligated nor be pressured to see the offender.  All visits are subject to the approval of the Prison staff.

Regular visitation:

• If a victim of the offender’s crime would like to visit the offender outside of the Victim Offender Dialogue (VOD) process (described below), a completed Visitor Application must be submitted by the victim.
• Please know that no one is under any obligation to visit an offender, nor should an offender pressure anyone into visiting.
• Visitation decisions are made at the discretion of the prison facility based on the need for safety and security of visitors, staff and offenders.
• Prison facilities’ staff must ensure the safety of the visitors, staff or offenders and visitation may not be allowed, allowed only through a controlled setting, or not allowed at all.  Visitation is a privilege, not a right, for the offender and visitor.
• Prison facilities can allow a victim to visit with the offender either through regular visitation or through a structured and arranged process.

See more about our Visitation Policies and rules on our Visitation Information webpages here. 

Victim/Offender Dialogue:

Victim/Offender Dialogue (VOD) is a victim-centered, confidential meeting between a victim/survivor and the offender who committed the crime against them, or in some cases, against the immediate family member. For more information, visit our Victim/Offender Dialogue page here. 

Offenders in NCDAC prison facilities are not permitted to use the internet nor social media while they are in prison.  If you believe the offender has a social media account which they are operating or have someone operating on their behalf, contact VSS for assistance at 866-719-0108.  

Offenders on probation are permitted to use the internet and social media. If a victim has concerns about the offender’s use of the internet, they may contact VSS at 866-719-0108.

Offenders on death row are prohibited from contacting a victim or surviving family members according to NC General Statute 148-10.2.  If you have been contacted by a death row offender, please call VSS for assistance at 866-719-0108.If you are the victim or surviving family member of a victim and would like additional information about the execution process, call VSS at 866-719-0108.

For more information, visit our Death Penalty in North Carolina webpage here.