Prison Place

All visitors must be on the inmates approved visiting list. This includes adults and minors. All minors under 18 years of age must have the appropriate visitors consent form DC313 or DC313A signed by the parent or legal guardian of the child and the inmates counselor or unit manager before the minor will be placed on the inmates visiting list. Incarcerated parents are not permitted to sign these forms. Any inmate who, as an adult or as a young adult offender, was ever convicted or adjudicated for a physical or sexual offense against a minor is prohibited from having a contact visit with any minor child. The Facility Manager may grant contact visits for inmates meeting these criteria for special circumstances.

Special visits can be pre-arranged for persons who are not on an approved list or who have traveled a substantial distance and for a family visit for a seriously ill or injured inmate. Special visits must be arranged by the inmate and approved by the Facility Manager or his designee.

Visitors must be 18 years or over unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. The only exception to this is wives. All visitors must have positive identification. Acceptable forms of identification are: photo driver's license, military ID, employee ID, school ID, passport, citizenship or naturalization card, Pennsylvania Commonwealth non-driver ID; or two of the following non-photo identification forms: voter registration card, medical card, learner's permit, temporary driver's license, birth certificate, vehicle registration, school ID, or Social Security card. One of the non-photo ID cards must show date of birth and current address. You will not be permitted to visit without proper identification.

Visitors are required to sign in upon their arrival and sign out before they leave. If traveling by private vehicle, you will be asked to register the make, model, and license plate number of your vehicle at the time of entry.

All visitors, including minors, are subject to search before, during and after visiting. A metal detector and a drug detection device may be used for this purpose. If you refuse to comply with facility search procedures, you will not be permitted any further visits until authorization is received from the Facility Manager. In addition, 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.

Each inmate is authorized two visits per week, one of which may be on the inmates designated weekend. Visitors attempting to visit after the two visits have been received will be turned away. Each inmate is allowed only one visit per weekend on alternate weekends. The weekend schedule is based on the inmate's Department of Corrections institutional number.

The number of adult visitors on any given visit is limited to five. The number of children visitors on any given visit is limited to three unless special written permission is received in advance.

Visits are a minimum of one hour in length; however, this may be increased depending upon the number of visits scheduled for that day. Every opportunity will be given for a full visit, but a visit may be limited for the following reasons: (1) visitor does not comply with visiting regulations; (2) overcrowded conditions; (3) unexpected situation or problems arise warranting the termination of the visit necessary for everyone concerned.

The staff at Mercer has the right to assign specific seating locations for visitors and inmates. The Visiting Room Officer will assign specific seating assignments to those inmates and visitors who are suspected of or have displayed problems with obeying the procedures. Kissing and embracing is permitted only when the visitors and inmate meet at the beginning of a visit and just prior to terminating a visit. There will be no long or passionate kissing, petting, or indiscreet contact permitted. Physical contact is limited to holding hands during the visiting period. There will be no sitting on laps, except in the case of young children. Any violations will be cause for termination of the visit and disciplinary action taken against the inmate. Violations of the personal contact regulations may be cause for the removal of a particular visitor from the inmate's approved visiting list.

Visitors will dress appropriately and avoid clothing styles that are suggestive. Visitors shall not wear a bathing suit, extremely short skirt, dress, shorts, halter-tops, or clothing made of see-through materials.

Visitors who appear to be under the influence of alcoholic beverages, drugs or narcotics, or who display inappropriate behavior, shall not be permitted to visit or remain on the institution's grounds.

No loud, boisterous talk or profane language will be allowed inside the Visiting Room. Smoking is not permitted in the Visiting Room.

Each inmate having a visit must assume reasonable responsibility for his visitor's proper conduct during the visit. Minors must be supervised by an adult and kept under control at all times. Children are not permitted to wander from the immediate areas, run about the visiting room or create noise that disturbs other visits. Failure to control children will result in the termination of the visit. A children's play area has been designated for your children's use. Please ensure they treat toys with care and return the items to their proper location after use.

The shift commander shall terminate a visit upon determining that a visitor is in possession of, or is passing or attempting to pass contraband, or is engaging in any conduct or behavior which poses a threat to the orderly or the secure running of the institution.

Visitors are not permitted to bring gifts of any kind. A money order or certified check will be accepted by mail only. Food and soft drinks may be purchased from the vending machines and consumed in the visiting area. Inmates and visitors are not permitted to take anything from the visiting area except photos taken during the visit.

Former inmates of any correctional system, victims, ex-offenders, current inmates in pre-release status, former or present Department of Corrections employees, volunteers, and contract employees and contract employees must first receive approval to visit from the Facility Manager.

Visitors are permitted to visit only one inmate at a time.

Alcoholic beverages, narcotics, drugs, weapons, cameras and tape recorders are not permitted anywhere on the grounds or inside the facility.

Visitors may bring the following items into the visiting room: see-thru change purse, reasonable amount of money, car keys, identification cards, canes, walkers, wheel chairs and crutches. A changing table for babies

 is available in the female rest room.

Visitors with infants may take up to three (3) bottles of white milk or formula in see-thru bottles, up to three (3) loose diapers, factory sealed baby wipes, and unopened jars of baby food. The officer at the lobby entrance will open all vacuum-sealed containers to ensure the jars have not previously been opened.

Visitors must leave the institution grounds once the visit has been completed.

Visits for inmates in Disciplinary or Administrative custody status are conducted in a non-contact visiting room for security purposes and are limited to 1 hour in length. Visiting hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday only (the visit must be completed by 1:00 p.m.). Visits for inmates in Disciplinary custody are limited to a one non-contact visit per month with immediate family members only. Inmates in Administrative custody are permitted one non-contact visit per week for any approved visitor.