Medium security (men) · State Prison · NCDAC

Franklin Correctional Center

Bunn, Franklin County, North Carolina

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (984) 295-1200 Info last verified: June 2026

A medium-security state prison for men in Bunn, in north-central North Carolina near Raleigh.

Statewide rules that apply at every NCDAC prison

These rules are set by NCDAC and apply at every unit. The full list — including all permitted and prohibited items and the approval process — is in Visiting in North Carolina.

Dress code

Dress modestly — no halter, tube, strapless, tank, sleeveless, or underwear-style tops, no bare midriffs, and no spandex; shorts and skirts must be no more than about three inches above the knee.
Cell phones, smartwatches, cameras, and recording devices are not allowed inside, and each prison may turn away a visitor who is dressed out of code, so confirm the facility's rules before traveling.

ID: Every visitor must be approved on the offender's visiting list before visiting — the incarcerated person mails an application to each prospective visitor; applicants 16 and older attach a copy of a government photo ID (minors under 16 a birth certificate), and the completed form goes to the prison where the person is housed. Visitors 16 and older show photo ID at the visit.
What to bring: Bring only what the facility allows — phones, smartwatches, cameras, bags, and most personal items are not permitted in the visiting room. Money for the person's trust account is sent through ViaPath (ConnectNetwork) or TouchPay, never handed over at a visit.
Scheduling: Visits are by appointment only — call or email the specific prison to schedule; there is no statewide online scheduler, and visitation status should be confirmed the day before. Visits are generally limited to one per week, up to two hours, with up to three approved visitors. Women enter the system through the diagnostic center at the NC Correctional Institution for Women (Raleigh); men are received at several prisons, including Craven and Piedmont.

Full statewide rules: Visiting in North Carolina

Overview

Franklin Correctional Center, on NC Highway 39 South in Bunn, Franklin County, is a medium-security prison for men with a capacity of about 452. It sits in north-central North Carolina, northeast of Raleigh. The facility opened in 1939 as one of dozens of prisons built or renovated when the State Highway Department took over management of the state prison system and put incarcerated people to work building highways. The original 1939 dormitory remains in use, joined by three 104-bed dormitories added between 1988 and 1993.

What Makes Franklin Different

It operates a Correction Enterprises sign plant, which NCDAC describes as the largest sign-making facility of its kind in the United States; it employs roughly 140 incarcerated people producing highway and interstate signs.
It is one of the system’s older institutions, opened in 1939 under the State Highway Department’s prison-management era.
It houses men in medium custody, with educational and vocational programming.
It is in Franklin County, northeast of Raleigh, off NC Highway 39 in Bunn.

Visiting

The statewide NCDAC rules above — the approved visitor list, the dress code, ID, and item limits — apply at Franklin Correctional Center. The facility’s own arrangements:

The full approval process is in Visiting in North Carolina.

Getting There and Parking

The prison is on NC Highway 39 South in Bunn, Franklin County, in north-central North Carolina northeast of Raleigh.

Distances are approximate, based on map routing. Visitor parking is on site.

Nearby Services

Bunn is a small town; the nearest full-service amenities and hospital emergency rooms are in the Louisburg and greater Raleigh area, a short drive away, with gas, food, and lodging.

Mail

Incoming personal mail does not go to the prison. North Carolina sends personal mail to an off-site vendor, TextBehind, which opens and scans it and delivers a digital copy to the incarcerated person’s tablet; original letters, cards, and packages are returned to the sender. Address personal mail with the person’s full name and OPUS number and the full (unabbreviated) prison name to: TextBehind, P.O. Box 247, Phoenix, MD 21131 — and include the sender’s full first and last name in the return address. Legal mail is exempt and goes directly to the facility. Books and publications must come from a publisher or online retailer, shipped to the prison’s street address, not the TextBehind box. Full rules are in Mail & Packages.

Learn More

For detailed information about visiting and communicating with someone in a North Carolina state prison:

Visiting in North Carolina — the approved visitor list, the application, and scheduling
Mail & Packages — the TextBehind mail-scanning process and what still goes to the facility
Phone & Video Calls — ViaPath calls, tablets, and GettingOut video visits
Sending Money — depositing through ViaPath/ConnectNetwork and TouchPay
Medical & Mental Health — sick-call co-pays, mental health, and the grievance board
Transfers & Finding Someone — reception, the locator, and transfers

Sources

This page is compiled from the following publicly available sources. Policies change without notice — confirm current details with the facility before relying on them.