Visitation

Incarcerated Individual's Visitation List

Each facility shall maintain an approved visitation list for each offender. This information shall be maintained on the offender information system.

• Incarcerated individuals visitation list is updated twice a year, at a minimum.
• Incarcerated individual may request visitation from no more than 12 visitors.
• Incarcerated individuals will not be denied the option to add or remove visitors from their visiting list.

The visitation list should include

• The offender's name and number
• The name of the requested visitor
• The relationship of the visitor to the offender
• The visitor’s date of birth
• The visitor’s address; and
• The visitor’s drivers license number or state ID information, if available

Add Name to Visitation List

Removing Your Name from an Incarcerated Individual's Visitation List

Visitors may have their names removed from an offender’s visiting list by making such a request in writing to the Superintendent or designee. Once the name is removed, the visitor must wait six (6) months before applying to visit the same or another offender. Exceptions may be made for immediate family members.

Contact Facility Visitation Coordinator

Exemptions from an Incarcerated Individual's Visitation List

Attorneys, clergy, or government officials or person's from other agencies/organizations providing an approved service for the facility or the incarcerated individual (e.g. Mental Health professionals, Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation counselors, etc.) may be approved for visitation on a case by case basis and must reach out to the facility litigation liaison directly.

Find a Facility Litigation Liaison

Visitor Searches

All visitors attempting to visit an offender shall submit to a search of their person and property. Minimally, all visitors shall be required to submit to a modified
frisk search in accordance with Policy and Administrative Procedure 02-03-101 Searches and Shakedowns. Frisk/modified frisk searches of a visitor’s person
shall be conducted by staff of the same gender as the visitor. The modified frisk search shall consist of all aspects of the frisk search conducted on offenders with the exception of:

• It will not be necessary for the staff person conducting the search to inspect the mouth or nasal passage;
• The person being searched will not be required to bend at the waist and run his/her hands through the hair; and,
• Pulling the shirt/blouse out of the pants, if tucked into the pants.

If reasonable cause exists to believe the visitor is carrying prohibited property or contraband, staff may request that the visitor submit to a frisk search, with approval of the Superintendent or designee.

Additionally, visitors shall be subject to additional searches using metal detectors and/or other approved search methods. Visitors in the waiting area and in the visiting room may be searched by trained K-9s at any time while in the facility.

Identification

All visitors age sixteen (16) years and older shall be required to produce picture identification before entering the visiting area. All visitors must present valid identification each time they visit. The only forms of identification accepted by the Department are:

• A valid driver’s (operator’s) license from the state of residence;
• A valid state photo identification card from the state of residence;
• A valid photo military identification card;
• A valid passport; and,
• A valid government identification card, including foreign governments

Additionally, all minor visitors (younger than age 18) specially approved to visit VMR offenders shall be required to provide a copy of a birth certificate at each visit, regardless of age, and additional identification may be required in other special circumstances as required by the Superintendent or designee.

Learn More about Submiting Documentation for Visitation

Special Visits

Special visits may be granted, with the prior approval of the Commissioner, or Superintendent or designee, on a case-by-case basis. Operational procedures shall be developed which specify the parameters for such approvals. In developing these operational procedures, consideration shall be given to sources of transportation, accessibility to the facility by visitors, the distance a visitor must travel, military leaves, pending military deployments, death in the family, and any special circumstances. In cases where a visitor has two (2) or more immediate family members incarcerated at the same facility, the visitor may be permitted to visit the immediate family members on the same day. However, the visitor will not be allowed to visit all of the family members at the same time. Members of the news media may be granted special visits in accordance with Policy and Administrative Procedure 00-03-101, "Distribution of Information."

Video Visits

A visitor for video visitation must appear on the offender’s approved visitation list. Offenders and visitors using video visitation shall be subject to the same rules and procedures as regular visitation as outlined in this policy and administrative procedure. Offenders or visitors that violate or abuse the rules governing visitation or video visitation may have their video visitation privileges temporarily or permanently suspended. Suspensions resulting from an administrative action shall be initiated by the Superintendent or Assistant Superintendent based upon a staff member’s recommendation and justification indicating reasonable knowledge, or information that video visitation suspension is appropriate. Temporary suspensions shall be for a determinant length of time. Suspensions on an offender’s regular visitation shall apply also to video visitation.

Suspension of video visitation for offenders shall be

• First Offense - Three (3) month suspension of video visitation;
• Second Offense - Six (6) month suspension of video visitation;
• Third Offense - Permanent suspension of video visitation.

Video visitation may be monitored by staff in real-time or archives. A poster near the kiosk shall notify offenders that video visits may be
monitored. The Superintendent shall determine the staff members granted access to the video visits.

Learn More About Video Visitation

Restrictive Status Housing

A facility may establish a separate visiting area for those offenders housed in a restrictive status housing unit, or a protective custody unit. Offenders in restrictive status housing units may be restricted to “non-contact” or video visits. If a separate visiting area is established, operational procedures shall prescribe the manner and method in which this area is to be operated.

Denial and Suspension of Visitation and Gate Closures

An individual’s visitation privileges may be denied, suspended, or the individual may be placed on gate closure status. Visitors who violate or abuse the rules governing visitation at the facility may have their visitation privileges temporarily or permanently suspended. An offender's visitation privileges also may be temporarily suspended for administrative reasons, such as during lockdowns. Temporary suspensions of an offender's visitation privileges may be for all visits or may be limited to a specific visitor. Temporary suspensions of an offender’s or visitor’s visitation privileges shall be for a determinate length of time, but shall be approved/denied by the Superintendent. However, visitation privileges for a specific visitor may be permanently denied and a gate closure issued if it is determined that to allow such visits would threaten the safety and security of the facility.

Visitors who violate the visitation rules/procedures may be denied visits to a particular offender, to a specified facility or to all Department facilities. Denial of these privileges shall be based.

Visitors whose visitation privileges to visit an offender are denied or suspended or who are the subjects of gate closures may submit a letter to the Superintendent of the facility causing the denial, suspension, or gate closure to request that the denial, suspension, or gate closure be reconsidered. The Superintendent or designee shall review the request and determine whether the denial, suspension, or gate closure was applied in accordance with this policy and administrative procedure. If the offender was transferred to another Department facility since the denial, suspension, or gate closure was issued, both facility Superintendents shall discuss and come to a decision. upon the Department's interest in security, safety, order of the facility, and the safety of the individuals involved.

If the action of the Superintendent is upheld, the visitor may apply again to have visitation reinstated no earlier than one (1) year from the date of the Regional Director’s denial. The visitor shall send a letter to the Superintendent of the facility housing the offender requesting that visitation be reinstated. The Superintendent shall review the request and any previous materials relating to the request.

Permanent visitation restriction of offenders shall not be used as a form of discipline, or as an administrative option. Instead, non-contact or video visitation shall be used in cases when physical visitation would otherwise be denied. In such cases, offenders are to be placed on non-contact visitation or video visitation for safety and security reasons.

Bodily Contact Between Offenders and Visitors

Offenders and visitors may be physically separated. In those cases where an offender and visitor are permitted contact, the offender and visitor may be permitted to shake hands, embrace, or kiss briefly at the beginning and end of the visit. There shall be no kissing or embracing during the actual visit. Offenders may hold hands with their visitors during the visit; however, offenders shall not touch any other part of the visitor’s body. Children too small to sit in a chair by themselves may sit on the offender’s lap during the visit.

Supervision of the Visiting Room

Notices shall be posted informing visitors of the potential for monitoring anywhere in the visiting area (e.g., staff of the same gender as the visitor should monitor the restrooms during visits if there is a reasonable suspicion that a visitor or offender may engage or be engaging in some form of prohibited behavior).

Restrictions on Visits with Minors

Male and female offenders who have a current or prior sex offense adjudication and/or conviction involving a minor may be restricted from receiving visits from minors (i.e. persons under the age of 18 years of age excluding spouses who are not the offender’s victim).

The following visiting restrictions for minor visitors shall be imposed:

• Offender with no current or previous sex offenses involving a minor – No restrictions on minor visitation.
• Offender with no sex offense(s) in the current commitment period and a previous sex offense that did not involve a minor – No restrictions on minor visitation.
• Offender with no sex offense(s) in the current commitment period and a previous sex offense involving a minor:
  • If the offender was discharged from supervision 10 or more years prior to the current commitment – Non-contact visits with minors.
  • If the offender was discharged from supervision less than 10 years from the current commitment – No minor visitation.
  • If the offender has multiple sex offenses involving minors or the use of force or threat of force was used (involving a minor) – No minor visitation.
• Offender with a sex offense involving a minor in the current commitment period – No minor visitation.