Visitation Questions — Ask The Inmate

You might find that attitude in any walk of life. The cashier at Walmart, the nurse at your doctor's office or the deli man at the grocery could all have "a bad day". For you to think that YOU need to kiss their ass is an indictment on your attitude. WAKE UP, this isn't a hotel or restaurant. The guards are not social workers, they are paid to oversee prisoners, not patrons. YOU follow their rules without arrogance or don't...

Yes, you can come to any of the Broward County jails with a photo ID. Visitors must have proper / current photo identification. (NO IDENTIFICATION - NO VISIT) Visitors must be on time. Visitors must abide by the dress code. Visitors may be subjected to a pat-down / frisk search and / or electronic search for the detection of contraband. Children must be accompanied by an adult and supervised at all times. Visitors cannot be on parole, probation, or work release without the prior written...

With a release date two weeks out, you are actually in a stronger position to get a special visit approved than you might expect. Special visits are entirely at the warden's discretion, but wardens are human beings who understand that a family coming to see someone who is about to come home after 15 years and 8 months is not a frivolous request. The proximity to release date works in your favor because it gives the warden an easy rationale to...

Getting on the visitation list is a process that runs through the facility, and it almost always starts with a formal application rather than just showing up and hoping for the best. Most jails and prisons require anyone who wants to visit an inmate to submit a visitation application to the facility. That application collects your personal information, and the facility runs a background check before approving or denying the request. The approval timeline varies widely. Some facilities process applications within...

This is a situation where calling the facility directly before you make the trip is essential, and the person to ask for specifically is the corrections officer who oversees the visiting room. There are two separate questions wrapped into this one. The first is whether the facility has any policy about service animals in the parking lot or on facility grounds while you are inside visiting. Some facilities are entirely fine with a service animal remaining in a vehicle in the...

Being on probation does not automatically disqualify someone from visiting an incarcerated person, but it does add a layer of requirements that have to be addressed before any visit can happen. The first step is disclosure. When you apply for visitation, you are required to disclose your probation status on the application. Do not leave it off. Facilities run background checks on all visitation applicants, and an omission is treated far more seriously than the underlying offense. Honesty upfront gives you...

The new visitation week starts on Monday. That means your visit count resets at the beginning of each Monday and you have a fresh set of visits available for the week running Monday through Sunday. If you visited on Wednesday and Saturday last week, both of those counted against last week's allotment. Starting Monday you are clear to schedule visits again according to whatever the facility allows per week. A couple of things worth confirming directly with Brazos County Detention Center before...

It could take up to a week or so to gain approval. The facility normally does not notify you when you are approved. It is your inmate's responsibility to let you know. There are a couple of different types of visitation for inmates: Video visitation is becoming more common and in some instances can be done from the comfort of your own home.  Video visitation works similar to the way you would use Facetime or Skype.  Non-contact or telephone visitation is when you...

Yes, both you and your one-year-old can visit. Being married is not a requirement for visitation at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles. For you, the process involves submitting a visitation application to the facility and completing a background check. MDC Los Angeles is a federal facility operated by the Bureau of Prisons, and the BOP requires all prospective visitors to be approved before visiting. Once approved your name goes on the inmate's approved visitor list and you can schedule...