What NCDAC Volunteers Do
The list below is not exhaustive, but the activities are typical.
- Serving as a member of the prison’s Community Resource Council.
- Assisting with religious activities.
- Tutoring or conducting classes.
- Participating with an organized group already active at the facility, such as a prison ministry or Alcoholics Anonymous.
- Performing office activities, freeing staff for more direct work with residents.
- Organizing or officiating games.
- Leading arts and crafts; coordinating entertainment events.
- Working in the facility’s library.
- Assisting offenders who are preparing for release and reentry —from helping find housing to coaching life and work skills.
- Outside the facility, providing transportation to employment or for family to visit.
- Sponsoring an eligible offender for Community Leave or Transitional/Reentry activities, taking them to approved activities in the community.
Entering & Exiting
You should also know what to expect when entering and exiting an NCDAC facility.
You will be searched every time you enter. This applies to everyone — staff and visitors. You will be patted down by hand. Female visitors will be patted down by a female staff member.
Everyone must pass through a metal detector in the gatehouse. You will empty your pockets first. If possible, leave all metal behind. This includes jewelry. Belts and shoes can trigger the metal detector. Sometimes, even hair extensions and the underwire in ladies’ garments are detected.
To avoid removing clothing items to pass through the metal detector, please be mindful as you dress for your volunteer visit.
If you have surgical metal sunch as plates, screws or artificial joints, please bring medical documentation of your implant.
Each time you enter the facility, you must present your volunteer ID card (blue for inside the facility) and your valid driver’s license or other valid state-issued ID.
You will sign in upon entering and sign out upon exiting.
We strongly advise that you bring nothing inside the facility except your driver’s license, your volunteer ID card (when issued), and your car keys.
Dress Code
Please read and follow the policy for appropriate attire.
- Don’t wear see-through or sheer clothing.
- Please don’t allow underclothing to show.
- If you wear leggings, cover them with a long top or skirt.
- Avoid spaghetti-strap tops.
- Shoes must have closed toes
- Skirts and dresses must reach the knees, and slits cannot extend above the knees.
- Jeans or other items cannot have rips, tears or holes.
- Words or images on clothing cannot be obscene, nor can they refer to criminal acts, illegal drugs or gangs.
Please pay careful attention to what you’re wearing. Don’t be turned away at the gatehouse or forced to change clothes.
Contraband
You also need to be aware of and follow NCDAC contraband policy. Drugs, alcohol and tobacco are prohibited. We will prosecute attempts to introduce these into a prison. Leave behind your cellphones, smartwatches, smart glasses, laptops, tablets, or any other electronic communications device.
Do not bring anything to give offenders — including personal items or publications. If you want to bring in materials for programs, be sure to have them approved beforehand.
Is volunteering for you?
Thank you again for considering being a correctional volunteer. We appreciate all that our volunteers do to help our residents rehabilitate themselves and to prepare for their eventual reentry into the community.