2. Visiting Rights and Procedures. Just as it is the right of prisoners to send and receive mail, it
is their right to receive visitors. Visiting rights cannot be restricted as a disciplinary measure or
in conjunction with a disciplinary measure. However, visiting hours may be administratively
regulated in order to facilitate adequate security and control.
a. General Restrictions on the number and length of visits and/or the number of authorized
persons permitted to visit at any one time will be limited to those necessary for the safe handling
of visits, prisoner control, and those made necessary by operational routines or limited facilities.
Prisoners who do not desire a visit will not be made available.
b. Normally, prisoners are permitted to receive visitors on weekends and holidays.
However, in determining the need for exceptions, consideration should be given to the distance
traveled by visitors, the frequency of visits, and any other factors deemed to be pertinent.
c. A prisoner should be permitted to see his attorney and other official visitors at any
reasonable hour of the day regarding pending legal matters. Prior coordination is not required;
however, official visitors and attorneys should arrange an appointment, when possible.
d. Visiting hours will be supervised by an unarmed guard who carries out his duties in as
unobtrusive manner as possible. Precautions should be taken by the guard to avoid embarrassing
visitors or prisoners during these visits. Guards should use tact, diplomacy, courtesy, and
friendliness in dealing with both civilian and military visitors who might well be disturbed by the
fact that the individual whom they are visiting is confined. Good public relations can often ease
hostilities or ill feelings. There is no requirement for the guard to listen to conversations
between a prisoner and his visitor.
e. Before the visit begins, the guard must explain the rules for visitors and have the visitor
sign the visitor's log giving his name, address, and date and time of signing in, and his
relationship to the prisoner. The time of departure is also entered when the visitor leaves.
f. There is no authority allowing visitors to be searched. However, prisoners will be frisk
searched before and strip-searched after the visit. During the course of the visit, prisoners are not
permitted to read letters or other literature that the visitor may have unless given permission by
the facility commander or his designated representative. A prisoner may be permitted a short
embrace of members of his family at the beginning and the end of the visit. The extent of
physical contact permitted during the visit is holding hands.
g. The visitor's room guard should, however, search the room prior to, and after, each visit.
He should require visitors to deposit handbags, packages, and baggage for safekeeping with a
designated person or a secure locker-type storage area. All gifts intended for prisoners must be
approved in advance or by the facility commander or his representative.
3. Complaint and Interview Procedures. Confinement tends to cause prisoners to develop
apprehensions and worries about matters that normally would be of little concern to them.
Personnel assigned to a confinement facility should understand this tendency and minimize its
influence by providing prisoners with information and answering questions fully and factually.
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