These centers provide some babysitting services, some transportation services such as between a nearby bus or train stop and the prison , and some clothing assistance when the prison has rejected the clothing worn by a visitor.
Additionally, the staff at the Centers are an available source of information regarding visitation, mail, telephone calls, and other issues that may arise as family members and friends try to maintain connections with an incarcerated loved one.
Some of these centers also provide informational training on issues including medical e. As noted before, the funding for these Visitor Centers is not always secure and their services may be intermittently interrupted. Nevertheless, you may find it helpful to visit the Center at the prison where you visit and check into its services. All prisons have specified visiting hours, usually starting between a. Many prisons restrict how early a visitor may drive onto prison grounds for a visit; usually about an hour before the start of visiting hours.
Some visitors will arrive before that time and line up in their cars directly outside the prison gates. As some prisons are directly off freeways, highways, or other very busy roadways, that can be potentially dangerous and, sometimes, in violation of traffic laws. All visitors should be very careful in parking outside the gates; and when driving on grounds be courteous and respectful of others as well as obeying all traffic laws.
Visitors found to be in violation of traffic laws may be subject to warnings, termination, or suspension of visits. Most prisons do not have staff at the gate, so visitors are free to drive onto grounds and to the visitor parking lot at the allowed time.
Only a few prisons have staff at the gate. At those prisons, staff distributes visiting passes to be filled out by visitors for processing. All visitors should understand that it is a felony to bring any weapons or any illegal drugs onto prison grounds, and will typically result in loss of visits and prosecution.
A visual inspection of the interior of your car from outside of the car is allowed anytime you drive onto or off of prison grounds or when you are parked on prison grounds. Additionally, a visual inspection of your trunk is allowed when driving onto or off of grounds. Any further inspection of the interior of your vehicle requires your consent, a search warrant, or reasonable suspicion of a visitor attempting to introduce or remove contraband or unauthorized items.
All prisons have parking available for visitors, in a parking lot separate from the parking lot for staff. Visitors should take care to park in the appropriate places. Most prisons have adequate parking for all visitors, but the parking may require a fairly long walk to the processing center or the boarding of a prison van or bus to be driven to the processing center.
Parking for disabled visitors is provided in specially-marked places. All visitors should be careful for themselves and their children in walking through the parking lot, as often there is substantial moving traffic. Visitors should walk from their cars to the line, as running on prison grounds is not allowed and may be perceived as an emergency. There will be a wait from the time you arrive at a prison to the time you are processed to visit.
Typical wait times for processing are not excessive. However, on occasion may be as long as two hours, depending on the number of visitors, the time of day, and conditions of processing including the size of the processing center, the number of staff, and the speed of processing.
The wait times are usually longer first thing in the morning, when many visitors arrive all at the same time. The conditions under which visitors must wait depend on the particular prison, but visitors should be cautioned that the wait may be without shelter even in the rain, snow, or strong heat , may be without bathrooms, and may be in an area with traffic hazards or restricted movement including not allowing children to move around.
As noted previously, there are Visitor Centers at most of the prisons, and those Centers provide bathrooms, shelter, and activities for children. At a few prisons, visitors are given numbered passes either when they drive onto grounds or once they are parked and get in line. Some prisons require scheduled appointments for visitors during the first two to four hours of visiting. At these prisons, visitors without appointments will be processed on a first-come, first-in-line, first served basis; but not until all visitors with appointments have been processed.
The processing of visitors and the movement of the line begins at the time posted for visiting to begin. Processing continues until an hour before the time posted for visiting to end. Processing of visitors may be suspended at times due to staffing issues or a temporary emergency. Delays in visitor processing cannot be predicted, and last only as long as necessary to manage the issue s causing the delay.
The completed pass is submitted to staff. Although the pass and identification may be held by staff once the visitor gets to the visiting room, it will be returned to the visitor upon leaving the visiting room. It is a felony for anyone to attempt to bring into the prison any drugs or weapons. It is against prison rules, and sometimes is a criminal offense for which one can be prosecuted, for anyone to attempt to bring in any item not allowed by the prison.
Visitors are required to follow all rules, regulations, and laws while on institution grounds. To ensure that prohibited items are not allowed into the prison, all visitors and their possessions are searched before the visitor is allowed to visit.
Visitors must remove all outer clothing jackets, sweaters, etc. Those items are placed along with other allowable items money, comb, baby items, etc. The visitor, including all minors, must clear a metal detector.
Visitors who, for religious reasons, cannot remove all outer clothing such as scarves, burkas, yarmulke, etc. Visitors with devices to assist their mobility wheelchairs, canes, etc. Children are subject to the same searches.
A child too young to walk through a metal detector alone may be carried through the metal detector by the adult visitor escorting the child in. Any search beyond the searching of belongings and the clearing of the metal detector is allowed only if there is cause to believe the visitor is attempting to bring a prohibited item into the prison.
If such cause exists, the visitor must be advised, in writing, of the reason for the search and the name of the prison official ordering the search. The visitor has a right to refuse the search, but the refusal will result in the visitor not being allowed to visit for the day; and may result in future visits being conditioned upon a search greater than the usual search of belongings, and clearing a metal detector, for as long as staff has cause to believe the visitor is attempting to bring in a prohibited item.
Visitors may not be searched without their consent unless there is a warrant that requires such a search or unless the visitor is being detained for arrest for unlawful actions that present an immediate and significant threat to prison security.
Actions which do not present an immediate and significant threat to prison security but are nonetheless unlawful, may result in the visitor being detained or escorted off prison grounds and prison officials referring the matter to local law enforcement, but may not result in a request of the visitor to submit to search by prison staff.
Most prisons have more than one visiting room. Staff will write which visiting room the visitor is to go to on the pass. At most prisons, visitors walk from the processing center to the visiting room; but at some prisons, visitors must wait for a prison bus or van to take them from the processing center to the visiting room. Upon arrival to the visiting room, the visitor turns in the pass to staff.
Usually it should not take more than twenty minutes for a prisoner to get to the visiting room after staff has called. Staff will typically know whether the delay is a prison-related issue and advise the visitor; if it is not, the visitor should ask staff to call again for the prisoner. When visiting room staff calls the housing unit for the prisoner, it becomes the responsibility of housing unit staff to advise the prisoner. Sometimes housing unit staff are diverted by other responsibilities and forget to advise the prisoner, so it is important to inquire if you have been waiting for more than 30 minutes.
Prisons count their prisoner population at certain times during the day. Movement of prisoners is frozen during those periods, and no prisoner will be released to the visiting room. The only count that is likely to interfere with visiting during the weekend hours is the Close Custody Count which prevents prisoners from going to the visiting from about a. All prison visiting rooms have chairs set up for prisoners and their visitors to use while visiting.
Most prison visiting rooms also have small tables, usually about 24 inches square and no more than 18 inches high. A limited number of larger, taller tables are available for disabled prisoners or disabled visitors. Prisoners and visitors are subject to continuous surveillance.
Most prison visiting rooms have surveillance cameras. All visiting rooms are staffed by several correctional officers. There is usually a podium or control booth where at least one officer will sit; others will walk throughout the room.
Prisoners are usually required to sit facing the podium or control booth. Visitors are usually allowed to sit facing any direction, but some prisons may have restrictions for visitor seating as well. Many visiting rooms have adjoining patios that prisoners and their visitors may use. The patios may have some grass, some play equipment for small children, and some furniture benches, chairs, tables.
The patios may be available for use during all visiting hours or only at restricted times. Some visiting rooms have an area set aside for small children. The area is usually relatively small about the size of a typical bedroom and has toys, games, and books for the children.
Children must be supervised at all times while on prison grounds by the adult who has accompanied them to the prison, including whenever the children are in the play area. Failure to adequately supervise children can result in the termination of the visit, but it can also result in a lack of safety for the children, so visitors should be diligent about supervision and not allow other adults prisoners or other visitors to supervise their children. No adults neither prisoners nor visitors are allowed in the play area except when supervising their children.
Visiting rooms have vending machines stocked with food and beverages for purchase by visitors and consumption by visitors and prisoners.
Vending machines usually have sodas, water, sandwiches including burgers , and burritos, popcorn, candy, pastries, and coffee. At some prisons, vending machines may also include fresh fruits and vegetables.
The prices will vary for such items but usually are about a dollar for a can of soda or bag of popcorn and three to four dollars for a sandwich. The number of visits allowed is determined by each institution. To schedule a family visit, an incarcerated person must request to schedule a Family Visit with the Family Visiting Coordinator. The Family Visiting Coordinator at the institution will provide the necessary paperwork for the incarcerated person to complete, as well as a packet for them to send to their approved visitors to complete.
Once all paperwork is complete and a visit is scheduled, the Family Visiting Coordinator will assist in arranging meals and other details. Depending upon the institution, family visits may be offered on the weekend, during the week, or both. Incarcerated persons and their families must pay for meals; all other accommodations are provided at no cost.
Each institution compiles a waitlist for family visit requests, prior waitlists are no longer in effect. Availability of visits, and turnaround time between approval and visit, varies with each institution.
Neither face coverings nor physical distancing will be required during the visit. Following family visiting, incarcerated persons will be screened for COVID symptoms and have a rapid test within 72 to 96 hours.
Unvaccinated incarcerated persons also will be placed in precautionary quarantine for 14 days and tested prior to release from quarantine. Incarcerated persons who decline testing after a visit will be placed in quarantine for 21 days, regardless of vaccination status. Family visits occur in private, apartment-like facilities on prison grounds and last approximately 30 to 40 hours.
The following individuals are excluded from family visits: Incarcerated persons on Death Row, any incarcerated person with convictions for sex offenses, anyone in the Reception Centers process, or anyone under disciplinary restrictions. Family visits are restricted to immediate family members parents, children, siblings, legal spouses, registered domestic partners, or who have a bona fide and verified foster relationship of the incarcerated person.
Family visits are further restricted by availability. An eligible incarcerated person must put in an application for a family visit with their assigned correctional counselor at the prison. Further inquiries about family visiting should be directed by the incarcerated person to their counselor or by the family to the respective institution visiting staff.
In April , CDCR authorized a one-time refund for supplies purchased for family visits that were unable to be used due to the sudden cancellation of family visits.
Once an institution resumes family visits, no refunds will be allowed for supplies pursuant to CCR Title 15, Section m. Family visiting funds that are unable to be used for any reason are to be saved for future visits, or reimbursed if the incarcerated person paroles or transfers.
If supplies have already been purchased, the visitor may pick them up at the institution or request they be donated. Refunds for purchased supplies in should be brought to the attention of the Public Information Officer at the prison.
If funds were provided, but supplies were not purchased, for a family visit in , those funds may be used for a future family visit and will not be refunded unless the incarcerated person has since released or transferred.
Effective immediately, in-person marriage ceremonies may be scheduled and facilitated at adult institutions in Phase 3 of the Roadmap to Reopening. Each institution has its own protocols for marriages; please contact your institution for details. Ceremonies will be limited to three approved visitors:. As part of ongoing efforts to stop the spread of COVID, incarcerated guests will not be permitted at this time.
The process for requesting and completing a marriage packet has not changed. The incarcerated person must request the marriage packet from their counselor. Prior wedding waitlists will be honored. For more information, contact the institution in which your loved one is housed. While CDCR is in compliance with this order, the authority to issue marriage licenses and to validate marriage ceremonies continues to rest entirely with the individual counties.
All in-person visitors must show proof of a negative Polymerase Chain Reaction PCR test or a rapid Point-of-Care COVID test obtained within three days prior to the visit or present a valid vaccination card noting they are at least two weeks past their final injection.
An in-person ceremony may be cancelled at any time due to health and safety reasons. When this status changes, a request may be submitted to the Marriage Coordinator to reschedule. Use the Inmate Locator to find an inmate and in what facility they are housed. Individuals are free to contact any state prison inmate by mail, and electronic mail is available at some institutions.
See our website on how to contact an inmate. You cannot directly call an inmate. However, most inmates have access to telephones and can initiate outgoing collect calls. Learn how to receive a call. Leaders of a religious organization or entity such as a church, mosque or synagogue, or persons who have been granted clergy status by a recognized religion and have ecclesiastical endorsement from a religious authority. This does not include anyone who is self-ordained or designated as clergy by a prisoner.
Members of the clergy are advised to call the facility to determine visiting hours. In special circumstances, a visit outside of regular visiting hours may be approved by the warden. This approval must be granted prior to the visit.
At the facility, the member of the clergy must present to the Information Desk officer a picture ID, such as a driver's license, and proof of clergy status. That documentation varies from faith group to faith group. This may be a letter of appointment to the congregation as their pastor or a copy of an ordination certificate or clergy license. Literature such as a worship bulletin or monthly newsletter that identifies the person as clergy may also be used.
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