Medium security (men), custody levels 1-3 · Correctional Center · WV DCR

Salem Correctional Center

Industrial, Harrison County, West Virginia

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (304) 782-2371 Info last verified: June 2026

A medium-security men's prison near Salem in Harrison County, with a substance-abuse treatment unit and a classification and intake unit; it holds men within a few years of release, and some men pass through during intake.

Statewide rules that apply at every West Virginia state prison

These rules are set by WV DCR and apply at every unit. The full list — including all permitted and prohibited items and the approval process — is in Visiting in West Virginia.

Dress code

West Virginia does not ban any clothing color for visitors, but dress must be modest: female visitors must wear a bra (underwire is not allowed because it will not clear the metal detector), and male visitors must wear a shirt.
No shorts, sleeveless tops, or tight, sheer, see-through, low-cut, or midriff-baring clothing, and no hats or head coverings.
No steel- or composite-toe shoes; jewelry is limited to a wedding ring (no watches), and anything with metal or metallic beads may not clear the detector.
Undergarments are required, and the shift commander has the final say on whether an outfit is appropriate.

ID: Every visitor must be on the inmate's approved list first — the inmate mails the visitor an Application to Visit, which is approved after a background check; an inmate may have up to six approved adult visitors. Each adult brings a government-issued photo ID (driver's license, state ID, passport, or military ID — not a Social Security or printable card). A minor needs a birth certificate and, if not with a parent or guardian, a notarized Juvenile Visitation Form.
What to bring: Almost nothing comes into the visit room — no phones, purses, bags, or tobacco; secure them in your vehicle or a lobby locker. There is no visitor vending and no food or drink in the visiting area. A parent may bring limited baby items (one clear bottle, a few diapers, a carrier).
Scheduling: At the state prisons, visits are on Saturdays and Sundays between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., and the incarcerated person schedules them in advance — there is no walk-in visiting and no public online booking, so confirm the facility's specific times. Prison visits are contact visits; the regional jails, by contrast, are non-contact.

Full statewide rules: Visiting in West Virginia

Overview

Salem Correctional Center, near Salem in Harrison County, is a medium-security men’s prison holding about 340 men in custody levels 1-3 (FY2024). People placed here are generally within a few years of parole or discharge, so it functions largely as a step-down and pre-release prison. It runs a residential substance-abuse treatment (RSAT) unit and supervised outside work crews. Salem also operates a classification and intake unit: since 2024 it has received men awaiting placement in the prison system and parole violators awaiting revocation hearings, which means a person may be held here temporarily during intake before transferring to another prison. The site opened in 1899 as the West Virginia Industrial Home for Girls, later became the Industrial Home for Youth, and was converted to an adult prison in 2013. West Virginia has no death penalty, so there is no death row.

What Makes Salem Different

It is a pre-release-oriented prison, holding men who are generally within a few years of parole or discharge.
It runs a residential substance-abuse treatment (RSAT) unit and supervised outside work crews.
It has a classification and intake unit, so a person may be held here briefly during intake, or while awaiting a parole-revocation hearing, before moving to another facility.
It occupies the former West Virginia Industrial Home for Youth, an adult prison since 2013.

Visiting

The statewide WV DCR rules above — the approved list, the dress code, ID, and search rules — apply at Salem.

The full approval process is in Visiting in West Virginia.

Getting There and Parking

The prison is on Industrial Boulevard near Salem, west of Clarksburg in north-central West Virginia.

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

Nearby Services

Clarksburg and Bridgeport, to the east, have the nearest cluster of food, gas, and lodging. The nearest 24/7 emergency room is WVU Medicine United Hospital Center in Bridgeport, the region’s main hospital.

Mail

Personal mail does not go to the prison. Since 2023, West Virginia routes personal letters to an off-site scanning center in Maryland, addressed with the person’s name and OID number; the person receives the mail as images on a tablet, and photos must be sent through the tablet rather than mailed. Legal mail, books, and magazines go to the facility. Full addressing details are in Mail & Packages.

Learn More

For detailed information about visiting and communicating with someone in a West Virginia state prison:

Visiting in West Virginia — the approved list, dress code, and scheduling
Mail & Packages — the Maryland scanning address and the OID number
Phone & Video Calls — ViaPath/GettingOut calls, messaging, and video
Sending Money — ConnectNetwork and the trustee account
Medical & Mental Health — co-pays and how to raise a concern
Transfers & Finding Someone — prison vs. regional jail and the split locator

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.