VISITING HOURS and GUIDELINES
VISITING HOURS BY INSTITUTION
INSTITUTION
VISITING HOURS
Newton Correctional Facility-Medium
Security
Monday and Friday 10:00 am-7:30 pm
Weekends 10:00 am-7:30 pm
No Visiting Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
Holidays follow DAY schedule
Newton Correctional Release Center-Minimum Security
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 5:30 pm-9:00 pm
Weekends and Holidays 8:15 am-4:00 pm
North Central Correctional Facility
Monday 8:30 am-3:30 pm
Friday 11:30 am-3:30 pm
No Visiting Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
Saturday, Sunday, & Holidays: 8:30 am - 7:30 pm
On non-visiting days holiday hours are 8:30 am to 3:30 pm
Saturday, Sunday, and holidays - visiting is three(3) hours.
Friday and Monday - visiting is four(4) hours.
Mt. Pleasant Correctional Facility
Thursday 11:30 am-6:30 pm
Friday 11:30 am-6:30 pm
Saturday 11:30 am-6:30 pm
Sunday 11:30 am-6:30 pm
Holidays 11:30 am-6:30 pm
Clarinda Correctional Facility
CCF (Medium Facility)Monday and Friday : 8:30 am-4:30 pm
Saturday, Sunday and Established State Holidays: 8:30 am-6:30 pm
CCF (Lodge):
Saturdays and Sundays: 8:00 am to 8:00 pm
Fort Dodge Correctional Facility
Friday 9:00 am – 8:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am – 8:00 pm
Sunday 9:00 am – 8:00 pm
Monday 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Holidays 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Iowa Medical and Classification
Center
Thursday 10:30 am-8:00 pm
Friday 10:30 am-8:00 pm
Saturday 10:30 am-8:00 pm
Sunday 10:30 am-8:00 pm
Holidays 10:30 am-8:00 pm
Iowa Correctional Institute for Women
Monday 9:30 am-4:30 pm
Friday 9:30 am-4:30 pm
Saturday 9:30 am-4:30 pm
Sunday 9:30 am-7:30 pm
Anamosa State Penitentiary
Monday 1:00 pm-8:00 pm
Thursday 1:00 pm-8:00 pm
Friday 1:00 pm-8:00 pm
Weekend and Holidays 8:15 am – 7:30 pm
Luster Heights/Anamosa
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 6:00 pm-9:00 pm
Weekends & Holidays 1:00 pm-7:00 pm
Iowa State Penitentiary and Critical Care Unit
Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday (no visits on Tues / Wed)
8:30 am to 4:00 pm (no visit shall begin after 3:00 pm)
8:30 am to 4:00 pm (holidays if they fall on a non-visiting day)
John Bennett
Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday (no visits on Tues / Wed)
8:30 am to 4:00 pm (8:30 am to 8:00 pm during daylight savings, weekends,
holidays)
No visit shall start after 3:00 pm (or 7:00 pm during daylight savings time)
Iowa State Penitentiary Farms
Saturdays / Sundays
8:30 am to 4:00 pm (8:30 am to 8:00 pm during daylight savings time)
8:30 am to 4:00 pm on Holidays that do not fall on Saturday or Sunday
8:30 am to 8:00 pm on Holidays that do not fall on Saturday or Sunday during
daylight savings time
Iowa Medical and Classification
Center
Reception Offenders: No Visiting
General Population and Patient Visiting Hours:
Thursday 10:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Friday 10:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Holidays 10:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
VISITING GUIDELINES
I. PURPOSE
To describe the visiting program that shall be used in Iowa
Department of Corrections (IDOC) institutions.
II.
POLICY
It is
the policy of the IDOC to allow offenders, including violator program offenders,
visiting privileges to maintain and strengthen relationships with family
members and friends. The Department’s
Centralized Visiting Authority (CVA) shall use a standard visitor application
and screening process to ensure security and operating efficiency. Though visits are encouraged, the
institution’s schedule, space, personnel constraints, treatment considerations,
or other safety and security issues of the institution may result in limiting
the number and length of visits
III.
DEFINITIONS
IV.
PROCEDURES
A.
General
Each institution shall communicate
the structured visiting process to each offender within 24 hours after arrival
at the institution. Offenders are
responsible to communicate required procedures to visitors. The following individuals may be approved to
visit upon completion of the CVA visitor application approval process,
including the Violator Program Offenders:
1.
Immediate family members;
2.
Four other individuals/groups who are friends or extended
family;
3.
Minor children under the immediate supervision of their
parent or legal guardian. Minor children
of an offender shall be allowed to visit with an adult on the offender’s
approved visiting list.
(4-4499: Written policy, procedure, and practice
provide that written information regarding procedures governing visitation be
made available to the inmate within 24 hours after arrival at the facility. At
a minimum, the information will include, but not be limited to, the following:
·
facility address/phone
number, directions to facility and information about local transportation
·
days and hours of visitation
·
approved dress code and identification
requirements for visitors
·
items authorized in
visitation room
·
special rules for children
·
authorized items that
visitors may bring to give offender (for example, funds, pictures, and so
forth)
·
special visits (for
example, family emergencies)
The institutions shall make
available to visitors on request a list of the major transportation resources
available to facilitate access to the institution. (4-4504: The institution
provides information to visitors about transportation to the institution and
facilitates transportation between the institution and nearby public transit
terminals.)
4. When a minor becomes of adult age (18) a OP-MTV-04 F7
Minor Visitor Removal Form will be completed by the CVA and sent to the offender.
An OP-MTV-04 F1 Visitation Application
form will need to be completed for the individual as a requirement of the
normal visiting application process. The
visitor will have 30 days to complete and return the application to CVA before
being removed from the approved visiting list.
B.
Application
Process (CVA)
CVA
is responsible for the management of offender visiting procedures, visiting
records and fact based decisions on visiting requests.
1.
The
offender/violator is responsible for mailing the OP-MTV-04 F1 Visitation Application
to prospective visitors once they are out of reception status at the Iowa
Medical Classification Center (IMCC) at Oakdale. Visitor applications shall be provided to the
offender at each institution.
2. The
visiting application must be sent to CVA for processing.
a.
All
applications shall be date stamped when received by the CVA.
b.
CVA will enter
the application as pending into the Iowa Corrections Offender Network (ICON).
c.
A cross
reference and offender search for the visitor shall be completed in ICON to
determine if they are on another offender’s list and whether or not they have
an offender number.
d.
The applicant
shall then be checked to determine if they are a registered victim and/or
whether there is a no contact order in effect. With the approval of the institutional treatment
team, children may be added after successful completion of sex offender
treatment programs.
e.
If the
application includes minors (17 years of age or under), the offender’s prior
and current charges are checked for sex offenses.
f.
The CVA shall
complete a NCIC background check on all adult applicants.
g.
Within 30 days
of receipt of the visiting application, CVA shall complete the decision process
of approval/denial decisions and enter the result into ICON. If denied or approved with restrictions,
reasons shall be entered into ICON. A
written decision OP-MTV-04 F2 Visiting Approval Denial Form shall be sent to
the offender that includes reasons for denial and any approval restrictions. If
a visitor is denied, OP-MTV-04 F3 Visit Denial Letter shall be sent informing
them of the reasons for denial. Applicants can reapply after 6 months of
denial. Each offender is responsible to
notify the visitor(s) of the CVA’s approval decision.
h.
All visitors
shall be grouped by family units. All of
the offender’s minor children, with the respective parent/guardian, will be
entered as one family unit.
i.
Only denied
applications shall be retained at the Central Visiting Authority for 6 months
following the date of the denial decision.
Denied applications will be forwarded to the institution where the
offender resides if an appeal is filed.
3. The
visitor or offender can appeal a denial decision or approved restriction in
writing by completing the OP-MTV-04 F4 Visit Appeal form, within 30 days of
date of denial to the Warden/Superintendent or designee. The appeal response shall be routed to CVA
for data entry. The CVA shall send a
copy of the response to the offender, visitor and institutions Record
Administrator. The decision of the Warden/Superintendent or designee may be
appealed to the Director of the IDOC or the Director’s designee. The decision of the Director or the
Director’s designee constitutes final agency action. The Director’s appeal response shall be
routed to the CVA for data entry. CVA
shall send a copy of the response to the offender and visitor. Each appeal response will be entered in visitor
comments in ICON.
C.
Non Authorized
Visitors (CVA)
1. For
security reasons, the following persons shall not be authorized to visit:
a. under
criminal indictment;
b. Persons
involved with or convicted of incidents of aiding an escape or persons who are
suspected of introducing contraband in any detention or supervised correctional
setting;
c. Persons
who falsify or omit information on the visitation application or other
requested information;
d. Sex
offenders who have minor victims are not permitted to have children on their
visiting list until they have completed SOTP.
After completion of treatment programs, children may be added with the
approval of the institutional treatment team;
e. A
victim of a sex offense or a domestic violence, whether registered or not, or
the victims family members shall not be approved for the visiting list of the
perpetrator in their case without consulting the Victim Advocate for the
Department of Corrections. Visiting
requests from victims shall only be considered when the offender has
successfully completed all recommended treatment programs of the IDOC or Board
of Parole. If the victim or victim’s
family member visitation request is denied, the appeal shall be reviewed in
consultation with the IDOC Sex Offender Treatment Director or institutional
Treatment Director for the Moderate Intensity Family Violence Prevention
Program;
f. Victims
of other types of crimes shall be reviewed with IDOC Victim Services staff
prior to any approval or denial;
g. Persons
who may compromise the order and security of the institution;
h. Each
institution may have procedures that limit the number, frequency, and length of
visits due to space or staffing considerations.
i. Persons
with no-contact orders, unless the order specifically permits visits while
incarcerated. (4-4498: Written
policy, procedure, and practice provide that the number of visitors an inmate may
receive and the length of visits may be limited only by the
institution's schedule, space, and personnel constraints, or when there are
substantial reasons to justify such limitations.).
2. Exceptions
that may be granted by the CVA with the approval of the Warden/Superintendent
or designee.
a. The
spouse, child, mother or father of an offender who is currently under IDOC
supervision, on probation, work release, or parole, may be approved by the CVA
after consultation with the Supervising Parole/Probation Officer and the Warden/Superintendent
or designee. The Warden/Superintendent
or designee may authorize either contact or non-contact visiting.
b. Any
person on the approved visiting list of another offender regardless of the
location of the offenders. The CVA, Warden/Superintendent
or designee may make exceptions, when
immediate family members are confined.
c. Former/Current
IDOC employees or volunteers who are members of an offender’s immediate family
may be approved by the CVA with the approval of the Warden/Superintendent.
d.
Former IDOC
employees or volunteers who are not immediate family members may be allowed to
visit 6 months after they have left employment if they pass the normal
background investigation, there are no security issues arising from their prior
employment, and the CVA receives approval from the Warden/Superintendent.
e.
Offenders who
are immediate family members discharged from prison without correctional
supervision must wait 6 months prior to contact visits being arranged.
Non-contact visiting may be authorized only for the spouse, child, mother or
father of an offender.
D.
Removal of
Visitors (CVA)
Offender
shall complete the OP-MTV-04 F5 Visiting Removal Form and send to CVA. CVA
shall respond to removal requests within 7 days and route a copy to the
offender. Once a visitor has been
removed, 6 months must elapse before reapplication. Immediate reapplication may occur in the
event an offender is released and has been readmitted within the 6 month time
frame.
E. Special
Visitors (Institution)
1.
Each
institution shall have written procedures governing rules for special
visits. The Warden/Superintendent or
designee shall approve all special visits.
2.
Division of
Criminal Investigation Agents, Federal Bureau of Investigation Agents, Law Enforcement
Officials, shall present proof of identity upon entrance to the institution.
3.
Attorney and
minister visits shall be during normal visiting hours unless a special visit
has been requested by the offender and approved in advance by the
Warden/Superintendent or designee prior to the visit.
4.
Attorneys must complete
an initial visitor application to visit an offender; however, one application
shall apply to multiple visiting lists. After initial approval is established,
Attorneys must contact CVA at (319) 385-9511 to be added to additional offender
visiting lists. Background checks are
not required and attorneys are exempt from counting as a friend on an
offender’s visiting list.
5.
Ministers must
follow the normal application process, including background checks; however,
one application will apply to multiple visiting lists and they are exempt from
counting as a friend on an offender’s visiting list. After initial approval is established,
ministers must contact CVA at (319) 385-9511 to be added to additional offender
visiting lists.
6.
An offender
must express a desire to visit a minister or attorney before the visit is
permitted.
7.
An attorney or
minister testing positive or refusing to be tested by an electronic detection
device may be required to visit no contact.
8.
As authorized
by the Warden/Superintendent, private investigators may visit with offenders
during regular visiting hours.
a.
No offender
shall be required to visit with a private investigator.
b.
Private
investigators shall follow all applicable visiting rules of the institution.
c.
In order to
assist in maintaining security of an institution the private investigator shall
be required to complete OP-MTV-04 F6 Special Visit Request form, prior to the
visit.
F. Termination
of Visits (Institution)
Visiting privileges may be denied, modified, or
terminated due to:
1.
Personal
behavior of the offender or visitor that is presenting a threat to security or
is inappropriate to a general visiting area.
Individuals whose behavior may present a control problem or is inconsistent
with the rules and regulations of the institutional visiting policy.
2.
The visitor and
offender directly exchanging any unauthorized object or article. Purchases from the visiting room vending
machines/canteen during the visit are authorized.
3.
An authorized
electronic detection device indicating the presence of drugs or other
contraband or when before, during, or after the visit the apparent odor or
effect of alcohol or narcotic drugs is detected.
4.
The visit or
future visiting is detrimental to the health and welfare of the offender or
visitor.
5.
Any behavior on
the part of an offender or a visitor that is or may be disruptive to order and
control or which violates institutional rules.
6.
Visitors
failing to supervise their children when they interfere or disrupt other visits
or leaving minor children unattended on institutional property.
7.
Offenders may
request reconsideration of denied visitors following demonstrated resolution of
the reasons for denial or when approved by the Warden/Superintendent or
Regional Deputy Director.
G. Security
Procedures (Institution)
1.
All visitors
are required to present proof of identity upon entrance to the institution and
shall be subject to search. Security and contraband control are critical
operational requirements, necessitating a search of all visitors by trained
correctional staff. Searches may include, but are not limited to, a pat down,
metal detectors, electronic ion scanners, (non-invasive drug test), other
electronic devices, or visual searches.
Staff of the same sex as the visitor shall conduct pat searches. Visitation shall be denied if the visitor is
not willing to submit to a required search. (4-4503: Written policy, procedure, and practice
provide that visitors register upon entry into the institution and specify the
circumstances under which visitors may be searched.)
2.
Staff may
request local law enforcement to search visitors if there is clear, distinct,
and reliable basis to suspect a particular visitor of an attempt to smuggle
contraband into the institution. Law
enforcement may ask the visitor to submit to a strip search unless the visitor
desires to cancel the visit. Only staff
members of the same sex may assist law enforcement in the search of a
visitor. If the search reveals drugs or
illegal contraband, the items shall be confiscated and preserved and the matter
referred by law enforcement to the county attorney or area prosecutor if a
criminal act is believed to have taken place.
3.
A parent, legal
guardian or adult on approved visiting list accompanying an offender’s minor
child(ren) may or may not elect to have the child(ren) present during the
personal search. Staff shall attend the
child(ren). When a visitor refuses to
leave the child(ren) with staff and does not want the child(ren) present during
the search, the visit shall be terminated.
At all times, when a minor child(ren) is searched, the parent or legal
guardian shall be present in the room, along with two staff members present.
4.
Service canine
are allowed to accompany visitors, providing the appropriate medical
documentation has been submitted supporting the visitors physical
limitation. Service animals will always
be kept under control by the visitor during the visitation or the visit will be
terminated by the shift supervisor.
H. Non
Contact Visits (Institution)
1.
Each
institution shall have procedures for non-contact visits.
2.
While visiting conditions shall promote normal social
interaction and reasonable levels of physical contact between offenders and
visitors, the Warden/Superintendent may
allow non-contact visits when the order or security of the institution may be
threatened or when disciplinary rules or procedures have been violated.
3.
Non-contact
visiting hours shall be provided during normal, posted visiting hours. The Warden/Superintendent shall post the
hours and days, and notice shall be posted at least one week prior to any
change.
4.
Offenders need
to inform all visitors of any schedule changes, which shall be posted one month
before implementation. (4-4499-1:
Written policy, procedure, and practice provide that offender visiting
facilities permit informal communication, including opportunity for physical
contact. Devices that preclude physical contact are not used except in
instances of substantiated security risk.)
I.
Special Visits
(Institution)