Medium security (men) · State Prison · NCDAC

Pender Correctional Institution

Burgaw, Pender County, North Carolina

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: 910-259-8735 Info last verified: June 2026

A medium-security state prison for men in Burgaw, in southeastern North Carolina.

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

Pender Correctional Institution, on Penderlea Highway in Burgaw, Pender County, is a medium-security state prison for men in southeastern North Carolina. NCDAC classifies it as a medium-custody men’s facility, with an offender capacity of 768. It sits in the coastal-plain region northwest of Wilmington and operates the standard NCDAC programming — education, work assignments, and treatment — within its medium-custody units.

What Makes Pender Different

It is a medium-custody men’s prison, classified by NCDAC as a medium-custody facility for adult males.
It houses men in medium custody, with an offender capacity of 768.
It is in southeastern North Carolina, in Burgaw, Pender County, in the coastal plain.
It is within reach of the Wilmington area, to the southeast of the facility.

Visiting

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

The full approval process is in Visiting in North Carolina.

Getting There and Parking

The prison is on Penderlea Highway in Burgaw, Pender County, in southeastern North Carolina, off I-40 northwest of Wilmington.

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

Nearby Services

The Burgaw area has gas, food, and lodging, with more options in the Wilmington area to the southeast. The nearest full-service hospital emergency rooms are in the Wilmington area.

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.