Some prisoners are entitled to “family visits”. These visits take place in private, apartment-like facilities within the prison and last approximately 30 to 40 hours. Persons sentenced to death, life sentences, convicted of sexual offences or subject to disciplinary restrictions are not entitled to family visits. Family visits are limited to approved visitors who are immediate family members (parents, children, siblings, legal spouses or registered partners) of the inmate. Family visits are further limited by availability; Usually, one visit every three to five months. An eligible inmate must submit a family visit to his or her designated Correctional Advisor I in prison. This guide focuses on regular visits (weekends and holidays) rather than family visits. Other questions about family visits should be directed by the inmate to his or her counsellor or by the family to visiting staff. Before visiting an inmate at San Quentin, you must register on the approved visit list. The only way to do this is to ask the prisoner you wish to visit to send you a signed visitor questionnaire. We strongly recommend that you read the CDCR visit guide before visiting an inmate, as it is 28 pages filled with information and answers to any questions you may have about an inmate`s visit to the SSPA Inmates who have had contact visits must be searched before being allowed to return to their accommodations.
Some prisons require the visitor to remain in the visiting room until the prisoner has been searched and evacuated. This process usually only takes a few minutes. But if the visitor leaves at the end of the tour, there are many prisoners who have to be searched at the same time, and the waiting time (if the visitor has to wait) can last much longer, up to 30 minutes. As soon as the visitor is allowed to leave the visiting room, he returns to the processing centre (on foot, by bus or by carrier) and shows his identity card and stamp on his hand and hands in his passport. He is then free to leave the prison grounds. No. Personal gloves, hand sanitizer and hand wipes are not permitted during the facility visit. Visitors may wear their own masks before entering the facility; However, if a mask is required or desired for a visit, CDCR staff will provide one. A visit to a CDCR facility must be conducted in a manner that maintains order and safety of persons and the facility. Failure to comply with established rules and guidelines may result in a warning or termination, suspension or revocation of your visitation rights.
Most inmates are in the general population and can receive contact visits. Contact visits allow the inmate to sit with their visitors and have limited physical contact with them (a brief kiss and/or hug at the beginning and end of the visit, holding hands during the visit). These visits take place in a large visiting room, usually furnished with tables and chairs, and usually shared with many other prisoners and visitors. Contact visits are limited to five visitors at a time. Contact visits are not limited to duration, except for normal visiting hours or interruptions caused by overcrowding to allow for further visits. D. There will be a waiting period from the moment you arrive at a prison until you are treated for a visit. Typical wait times for treatment are not excessive. Sometimes, however, it can take up to two hours, depending on the number of visitors, time of day, and processing conditions (including the size of the processing center, the number of employees, and processing speed).
Waiting times are usually longer in the morning, when many visitors all arrive at the same time. The conditions in which visitors must wait depend on the particular prison, but visitors should be warned that the waiting period may be unprotected (even in rain, snow or intense heat), without toilets and in an area with traffic obstacles or reduced mobility (including non-admission of children). As mentioned earlier, most prisons have reception centres, and these centres offer bathrooms, accommodation and activities for children.