General Information
The Catawba County Detention Facility is located on the Catawba County Government Campus in Newton. The original facility was built in 1980 with a capacity of 83 inmates. A major expansion was completed in 2007 which added 176 beds, a booking area, medical area, and an industrial kitchen. The most recent expansion in 2021 increased the capacity to 579 inmates. The facility is staffed by approximately 100 dedicated employees who are tasked with the safety and security of the inmates housed at the Detention Facility.
Frequently Asked Questions
This Facility has a ZERO tolerance for sexual abuse and sexual assault
The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 was enacted by Congress to address the problem of sexual abuse or persons in the custody of U.S. Confinement Facilities. The Catawba County Detention Center has a zero-tolerance policy for the incidence of inmate sexual abuse and sexual harassment. This applies to both inmate-on-inmate sexual abuse and staff sexual misconduct. Alert a member of the jail staff immediately if you feel you have been sexually assaulted during incarceration. They will contact the appropriate person to conduct the investigation. You may also fill out your request on the Kiosk. Your privacy will be protected to the fullest extent during any investigation.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse or harassment inside the jail, report it immediately by calling 828-465-8999 and asking for the PREA Coordinator or Jail Administrator. We also have a Complaint Form you can fill out and send to 100 Government Drive Dept. E Newton NC 28658 ATTN: PREA Coordinator or Jail Administrator.
All reports of sexual assault and sexual harassment will beinvestigated.
If you or a family member has been assaulted inside the facility, do not change your clothes, brush your teeth, shower, wash your hands, or use the restroom. You may destroy important evidence which can be collected to help with the investigation.
We want everyone to feel safe while at the Catawba County Detention Facility. If you make a report and feel you are being retaliated against for making the report, please let us know immediately. Retaliation WILL NOT be tolerated.
ONSITE VISITATION: Can be found on Paytelconnect.com and scheduled in advanced with timeslot given. Schedules change daily and are based on housing location and availability.
- Visitation must be scheduled a minimum of one day in advance.
- Visitors who do not arrive for the scheduled time will forfeit the weekly visit.
- You must provide photo ID when you arrive for your visit.
- Inmates are allowed one (1) fifteen-minute visit per week.
REMOTE VISITATION
- Remote visits can be completed through tablets from the hours of 0630-2130.
- Visitation hours are based on housing location and availability.
- Remote visits are paid per min and up to 30 min long during each session, sessions are unlimited during hours mentioned.
- Remote visitation rules are strictly enforced
CONFIDENTIAL VISITATION
- To request confidential status, please contact the facility at 828-465-7906.
- Once approved for confidential status, visitors may schedule remote and onsite video visits daily under the same guidelines as mentioned above.
- Onsite face-to-face visits are arranged by the jail and are available daily from 7:00 am – 5:00 pm.
Address to Send All Non-Legal Mail:
The Catawba County Detention Center utilizes a mail scanning service. Approved non- legal mail can be accessed by the inmate via the inmate tablets. If you are an inmate in the Catawba County Detention Center, instruct your contacts to address non-legal mail as follows:
Catawba County Detention Facility
Inmate Name, Inmate ID #
Facility ID Number: 5029
PO Box 18247
Greensboro, NC 27419
The envelope must have a complete, legible return address including the sender’s first and last name or the mail will NOT be scanned. The sender is responsible for the cost of postage. Mail with insufficient postage will be refused.
The Inmate Name, Inmate ID# and return address must be printed clearly. Illegible mail will not be scanned and will NOT be returned.
Legal Mail:
Legal mail must be mailed directly to the facility. Legal mail for an inmate in the Catawba Detention Center should be addressed as follows:
Catawba County Detention Facility
Inmate Name, Inmate ID #
P.O. Box 385
Newton, NC 28658
Privileged mail must be marked as “Legal Mail” and will be opened by the inmate in the presence of facility staff.
Mail Item Requirements:
- Mail arriving with postage due will be refused and returned to sender if possible.
- Mail must be 10 pages or less per envelope.
- Page size must be no larger than 8.5”x11”.
- Mail can include written or typed pages, photos, drawings or greeting cards. (No polaroid photos)
What Not to Send:
- Do not send mail or greeting cards with glitter, glue, tape, 3D elements, or electronic components (lights, music, animation).
- Do not send any items containing, depicting, or relating to sexually explicit activity, illegal activity, violence, drug, or alcohol use, etc.
- Do not send illegal substances or any other items considered to be contraband.
- Do not send newspapers, magazines, books, or packages to the mail processing center.
- Do not send cash, personal checks, or money orders to the mail processing center.
- Do not mail originals of important documents such as Birth Certificates, Driver’s Licenses, Social Security Cards, Green Cards, etc., as they will not be returned.
- Do not send original photos or other irreplaceable or valuable items, as they will not be returned.
- Do not mail legal mail to the mail processing center. (See instructions above.)
Mail Approval:
ALL scanned mail will be inspected by jail staff for the following:
- Threats of physical harm against persons or threats of criminal activity
- Threats of blackmail or extortion
- Plans for escape
- Plans for activities in violation of facility rules
- Letters written in code
- Information, which if communicated, would create a clear and present danger of violence and physical harm to a human being.
- Photographs, drawings, or cartoons displaying nudity or sexually graphic content or sexually explicit reading material.
All scanned mail containing any of the above listed items will be turned over to the proper authorities for investigation. Any threats of criminal activity will not be permitted in any correspondence and may result in criminal charges.
Cash, Checks, Money Orders: The public can deposit cash on an inmate’s account in the lobby of the detention facility, or online at www.jailpackstore.com.
Money orders can be mailed directly to the facility at: Catawba County Detention, Attn: Trust Funds, P.O. Box 385, Newton, NC 28658.
As inmates are booked into jail, the inmates are added to the “Who’s in Jail” page of our website. Visit http://injail.catawbacountync.gov/WhosInJail/ for more information.
Telephone service is provided by Pay-tel. Visit www.paytel.com to set up an account.
Inmates who are completing a sentence will know the day that they are scheduled to be released. The exact time may vary. There is a phone available to the inmate in our lobby that he/she may use to contact you upon their release.
- Inmate property will only be released between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm. ** Inmate funds will not be released **
- Inmates must sign a release prior to the property being released.
- Inmate clothing will not be released.
- You may mail a US Postal Service or bank money order to the inmate.
- You may deposit money in the ATM in the Detention Facility lobby. The ATM accepts cash and credit cards.
- Visit www.jailpackstore.com
- Yes. Visit www.jailpackstore.com for more information.
- You may bring medications (in original containers), or prescription glasses
- No books may be brought to the front desk or mailed to the facility
- Numerous books and other reading material is available at no cost on the inmate tablets
Click here to see the latest outside medical expenses for the facility.
- Magistrate’s Office: 828 695-6119 (Newton) 828 327-9093 (Hickory)
- District Attorney’s Office: 828 695-6110
- Clerk of Court: 828 695-6100
- Probation: 828 466-5653
- Catawba County Sheriff’s Office: 828 464-5241
- Newton Police Dept: 828 465-7430
- Hickory Police Dept: 828 328-5551
- Conover Police Dept: 828 464-4698
- Claremont Police Dept: 828 459-7865
Visit http://www1.aoc.state.nc.us/www/calendars/CriminalQuery.html, where you can search for court dates in any North Carolina county.
You may sign up for court date notifications at https://www3.nccourts.org/onlineservices/notifications/menu.sp