The Mount Olive Correctional Complex (MOCC) near Mount Olive in Fayette County, West Virginia — not to be confused with the town of Mount Olive — is the only adult maximum-security correctional facility in West Virginia's state system. It serves as the terminus of the state's classification system for the highest-risk male population: people serving long sentences for serious violent crimes, people who have been removed from other facilities due to serious disciplinary issues, and people whose assessed security risk places them in the highest tier.
What Maximum Security Means at MOCC
Maximum security classification at MOCC means a substantially more restrictive environment than medium or minimum security facilities:
- Cell confinement: Inmates in maximum security spend more time in their cells — typically more than 20 hours per day for those in the most restrictive housing within MOCC
- Non-contact visits: Visiting at maximum security is typically separated by glass or a barrier, without physical contact between visitors and the incarcerated person
- Limited movement: Movement through the facility is escorted and controlled; inmates do not move independently between areas
- Programming restrictions: Access to education, vocational training, and recreation is more limited than at lower-security facilities, though programming exists for those who are not in the most restrictive housing units
Death Row at MOCC
West Virginia abolished the death penalty in 1965 — one of the earlier state abolitions in the country. There is no death row at Mount Olive; West Virginia does not sentence people to death. The maximum sentence in West Virginia is life without the possibility of parole for the most serious first-degree murder convictions.
Getting a Loved One's Custody Level Reduced
Custody classification is not permanent. West Virginia DOC uses a formal classification instrument — evaluated periodically — that assesses institutional behavior, programming participation, time served, and remaining sentence length to determine appropriate custody level. People classified at MOCC who maintain clean disciplinary records, complete programming, and accumulate positive behavioral history over time may be reclassified to a lower custody level and transferred to a less restrictive facility.
The classification review process is the most important structural mechanism for improving an incarcerated person's conditions. Families can support this by:
- Encouraging consistent programming participation — every completed program is a positive factor in classification review
- Encouraging avoidance of disciplinary infractions — even minor infractions reset the behavioral clock
- Asking about the timeline and criteria for the next classification review through the case manager
Visiting MOCC
Mount Olive Correctional Complex is located approximately 45 miles south of Charleston on US-19. Visiting at MOCC:
- All visits are non-contact (through glass) for maximum-security inmates; contact visits may be available for lower-security classifications within the facility
- Approved visitor list required — the inmate initiates this through their case manager
- Valid government-issued photo ID required
- Dress code strictly enforced — call (304) 442-7212 to confirm current requirements before traveling
- Visiting hours: confirm current schedule at dcr.wv.gov or by calling the facility
Mount Olive Correctional Complex: One Mountainside Way, Mount Olive, WV 25185. Phone: (304) 442-7212. WVDCR: dcr.wv.gov.