Visiting Information
Hours:
Visiting hours are from
9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily {including weekends and holidays}. Evening
visits from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. are permitted on Thursday through
Sunday only, and state approved holidays that fall on Monday. Weekend
and holiday visits are limited to two-hour intervals. Visits are a
minimum of one hour in length; however, this may be increased depending
upon the number of visits scheduled for that day.
Rules:
All visitors must be on
the inmate’s approved visiting list. It is recommended that you
arrive as early in the day as possible so that proper arrangements can
be made in time for your visit. It may take time to locate an
individual inmate for a visit, so please be patient.
Have proper
identification with you, either one photo I.D. or two non-photo
I.D.’s. Acceptable forms of photo identification include any one of
the following: driver’s license, photo welfare, military, bank,
employee or school I.D., passport, citizenship or naturalization card,
Liquor Control Board or Commonwealth non-driver I.D. card. Any two of
the following are acceptable non-photo identification: Voter’s
Registration card, Medicare card, learner’s permit or temporary
drivers’ license, vehicle registration, birth certificate, school
identification, immunization record or a Social Security card.
Identification beyond the expiration date will not be acceptable. You
will not be permitted to visit without proper identification.
Please take a number
upon your arrival and wait for the Officer to call for you to begin
processing. If you travel by private vehicle, you will be asked to
register the year, make, model and license number of your vehicle.
The Pennsylvania
Department of Corrections has stringent rules regarding visits of minor
children on inmates who have been convicted of physical or sexual
offenses towards minors. Parents with any concerns or questions should
consult first with the Visiting Officer before allowing minor children
to visit. Additionally, all minor children must be accompanied by a
parent/legal guardian, county children/youth service agency staff, or
an adult{s} immediate family member{s} approved by the parent/legal
guardian to accompany the child. There must be an authorized 313 form
on file for each child. The individual{s} accompanying a minor is
responsible for the welfare and behavior of the minor and any damages
the minor may cause while in the visiting room or on state property.
Failure to keep children under control may result in early termination
of your visit.
Embracing is permitted at the beginning and end of each visit.
All visitors are subject
to search upon entering the institution, while at the institution and
before leaving the institution, including a search with all drug
detection equipment. If you refuse to be searched before entering the
institution, your visiting privileges may be denied. If you refuse to
be searched while in the institution or upon leaving the institution,
you may be detained until the appropriate law enforcement authorities
arrive.
Cameras, tape recorders, radios, and handbags are not permitted in the visiting area.
Inmates placed in
Disciplinary Custody status have their visiting privileges restricted.
Inmates in segregation placement are not permitted to receive holiday,
evening or weekend visits.
Inmates are permitted to
receive as many visits in a month as there are Sundays in that
particular month. Individuals visiting during the morning and the
afternoon visiting periods are counted as one visit, provided they do
not leave the visiting room. Visitors may visit more than one inmate
providing the Superintendent has approved a valid reason.
The visiting desk is
closed on weekdays from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Visitors will not be
processed in during this time period. During weekends and holidays, the
visiting desk will remain open for processing visitors throughout the
entire visiting period. Up to five visitors may visit at one time,
space permitting.
Lockers are available
to hold visitors personal belongings not permitted in the visiting
room. A $10.00 deposit is required, which will be reimbursed to the
visitor when the locker key is returned.
Vending
machines are available in the visiting room. Food items are not
permitted to be taken into or out of the visiting room. Money in the
possession of an inmate is considered contraband and will be subject to
a misconduct. Therefore, it is recommended that no money be brought
into the visiting room. Tokens may be purchased at the gate before
entering the visiting room.
Individuals
visiting an inmate are not permitted to leave money for the inmate they
are visiting. Funds, in the form of a money order or a certified check,
will only be accepted via the mail.
Please use good judgment and discretion in dress and behavior so as not to embarrass others in the visiting area.
Acceptable
dress: jeans or slacks, skirts and dresses knee length or longer, knee
length shorts, tops and shirts that are loose fitting and completely
cover the upper torso.
Unacceptable
dress: gym shorts, boxer shorts, short shorts, spandex clothing or any
item of clothing with rips, tears or revealing holes; clothing that
makes reference to drugs, sex, violence or with obscene language; bare
midriff, half shirts, halter tops, tank tops, pajamas or lingerie, or
see-through clothing of any kind; or bare feet.
Ex-offenders must have prior approval from the Superintendent to visit any inmate.
Do not bring any kind of gift to the institution. Remember, inmates are not permitted to take anything from the visiting area.
Special visits may be approved depending on exceptional or extraordinary needs. See Visiting Desk Officer for information.
Any
visitor appearing to be under the influence of alcohol or controlled
substance will not be permitted to enter the institution.
All
inmates are informed of changes that may occur in visiting regulations.
It is the responsibility of each inmate to inform his visitors of these
changes.
Please remember that any violation of visiting regulations may result in the suspension of visiting privileges.
It
is against the law to bring any form of contraband into a correctional
institution. Act 334 of Dec. 6, 1972 {18 PA C.S. 5122, 5123} provides
for up to $10,000 in fines and five years imprisonment for any one
convicted of bringing contraband, such as firearms, liquor or drugs,
into a prison or for anyone convicted of providing an inmate with a
weapon, tool or any implements of escape. Please do not violate your
visiting privilege by bringing unauthorized materials with you. If you
have any questions about what you may or may not bring, PLEASE ASK!
Rules
governing institutional visits are found in Administrative Directive
812, Inmate Visiting. A copy has been made available to each inmate. It
is the inmate’s responsibility to inform visitors as to the proper
procedures, rules and regulations.