Visiting Room Protocol and Rules

Inmates and their authorized visitors will be expected to abide by the facility's rules and regulations and to follow the instructions and guidelines given by facility staff.

Violation of these rules and protocol by either inmates or visitors may result in termination of a visit and the suspension or revocation of future visits. See 'Termination, Suspension, and Revocation.'

Search

The visiting room and the visiting room lavatories will be searched before and after visiting to make certain that nothing has been concealed therein which might be removed by visitors or inmates.

Each inmate's person, clothing, and possessions will be searched before and after entrance to visiting areas in accordance with Directive 4910, 'Control Of and Search For Contraband.'

Food

Only foodstuffs or beverages purchased by the visitor from vending machines located in the visiting area may be consumed in the visiting room. Visitors to correctional camps shall normally be permitted to share foods brought into the facility with the inmates they are visiting, at the discretion of the Superintendent.

An exception will be made for visitors with small children needing to utilize baby bottles. Plastic baby bottles will be allowed into the visiting room after the contents have been examined. Jars of baby food should be left in a designated area where the visitor may go to feed the child.

Physical Contact

Acceptable physical contact during contact visits is described as follows:

• At a minimum, a visitor and inmate may embrace and kiss at the beginning and at the end of any contact visit. Brief kisses and embraces are permitted during the course of the contact visit. However, prolonged kissing and what is commonly considered 'necking' or 'petting' is not permitted.|
  
  
• A visitor and an inmate may hold hands, as long as the hands are in plain view of others.
  
  
• Inmates and visitors sitting next to one another may also rest their hands upon each other's shoulders or around each other's waists. Resting one's head on another's shoulder is also permitted when the inmate and visitor are sitting next to one another.
  
  
• In general, kissing, embracing and touching are allowed as long as they would be acceptable in a public place and do not offend other inmates and visitors or aid in the introduction of contraband or escape attempts.

Objectionable Behavior

Objectionable behavior may result in termination of a visit. Such behavior may include loud, abusive, or boisterous actions, disruptive or argumentative behavior, or unacceptable physical contact or conduct. See Appendix A.

Exchange or Review of Items

During visits, inmates and visitors are not authorized to exchange or share any items without prior approval of the area sergeant.

• Approval may be granted for inmates and their visitors to review written materials together including, but not limited to, personal legal papers and personal photographs after the materials are examined for contraband by facility security personnel.
  
  
• If visitors wish to leave any materials with the inmate that they have brought into the visiting area, or if they wish to remove materials brought into the visiting area by the inmate, the exchange must take place through the package room. Refer to Directive #4404 for exchange of legal materials.

Legal Visits

An inmate law clerk or an inmate approved to provide legal assistance pursuant to Directive #4483, 'Law Libraries and Inmate Legal Assistance,' shall be permitted to be present at conferences between an inmate and his attorney. Refer to Directive #4404.

Lavatories

Inmates and visitors will not be allowed to use the same lavatories.

Departure

Inmates and visitors shall not be permitted to leave the visiting area together.

The visited inmate must be accounted for by the visiting room officer before the visitor is allowed to leave. Visitors may be detained until the inmate is secured.

Smoking

Smoking is prohibited in indoor visiting areas.