Jail visiting hours

A time slot can be reserved on the county sheriff's website, through an outside vendor portal, or by calling the facility's scheduling line. You and the person in custody each have steps to finish before the system lets you choose a date.

Joining the approved visitor list

Usually, your loved one must put you on their designated visitors list as the first step. That roster names the family and friends who are approved to visit an inmate. Inmates in Clayton County, Georgia fill out their list at the orientation interview, when staff go over the rules with new detainees.

Jails limit how many names can go on that roster. The Baltimore County Department of Corrections caps designated visitors at 10, and anyone 13 or older has to be included. Inmates at Southern Regional Jail in West Virginia use SRJ form 5-0029 to request visits.

Also, you must register yourself before you book. Online registration in Santa Clara County, California typically needs 3 to 4 days for approval, and longer at busy times. If a county rolls out a new website, like Santa Clara County did, visitors have to register again before booking visits.

Making your appointment online or by phone

After you're approved, take these steps to secure a date:

1. First, look up your loved one's ID number using the finding someone in jail resource.
2. Set up an online account with a valid email address. If the confirmation email doesn't show up, look in your junk or spam folder, as the sheriff's visitation portal suggests.
3. Choose a slot online or by phone. At San Diego County Sheriff, online eVisit booking runs Wednesday through Sunday, starting at 7:00 a.m. and ending at 7:00 p.m. You can also call (619) 409-5000 on those days from 6:30 am to 6:00 pm.
4. When a facility books only by phone, call the jail phone number. At Orange County's Central Jail Complex in California, scheduling calls are taken on weekdays from 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

Can you visit without booking first?

Visitors who arrive without a reservation are turned away at most facilities. Online bookings are required up to 3 days ahead at Santa Rita Jail in California, which doesn't allow same-day appointments. Walk-in visits ended at Marion County Adult Detention Center in Indiana, where you must book 1 to 4 days early.

A few facilities accept walk-ups if space is open during regular jail visiting hours, according to the sheriff's visitation portal. Read the rules before you drive over so the trip isn't wasted.

Private technology companies now let many county jails run jail visitation through phone apps or computer screens. The facility decides whether you can talk from home on a device of your own or use a screen inside the jail building.

Creating a video account

Outside companies run the video systems under contracts with jails. Certain counties require you to visit through a lobby kiosk, a camera-equipped computer station inside the visitor building. At other jails, you can connect from home using a phone or computer.

Before signing up, find out which company serves your county. ConnectNetwork suggests confirming that your facility is on their system, then registering every visitor at gtlvisitme.com. You can also check myViaPath for facility services, and call 866-516-0115 if you need an account refund.

Gwinnett County in Georgia and Hennepin County in Minnesota are among the counties that use Securus Technologies instead. An approved Securus profile is required in Hennepin County, and you must book 24 hours ahead.

Jail schedule examples and visit limits

Weekly caps, session lengths, and hours differ from one sheriff to the next. Compare these county rules and see how schedules work around the country:

Do video visits cost anything?

Video booths at the jail are usually free, but a call from home often costs money. Free on-site video sessions are offered by both East Baton Rouge Parish Prison in Louisiana and Hennepin County Jail in Minnesota. Visits last 20 minutes and run all 7 days of the week at Hennepin County's Public Safety Facility, in room 235.

What home video costs depends on the county's vendor contract. Each inmate at Ada County Jail in Idaho gets 2 free 25-minute online visits per week, and extra sessions cost money. For Houston County, Georgia, PayTel sets remote 20-minute calls at about $0.30 per minute, with 1 weekly 30-minute kiosk visit as the alternative.

Anyone visiting must get through security screening and obey the facility's clothing rules before going into the visiting area. Your car is the place to leave personal bags and electronics locked up; that keeps officers from sending you back at the door.

Security screening and check-in times

Allow extra time for parking and getting through the front desk. You must show up at least 30 minutes early to complete registration at Baltimore County's Bosley and Kenilworth facilities. Arriving late there means staff cancel your visit, and you'll have to book a new appointment.

An even earlier check-in is required at some facilities. You must check in 60 minutes ahead of your visit at San Diego County's East Mesa Reentry Facility.

When you enter the building, expect strict security screening. Staff at East Baton Rouge Parish Prison check every visitor for warrants and also do a body scan.

Rules and dress codes inside the visiting room

According to Georgia's visitor guidelines, state and county facilities require you to obey all rules on parking, screening, and dress code. Clothing and identification rules differ by sheriff. Before you leave home, call the jail to ask what clothing is banned and which photo ID to bring.

Non-contact visits are normal at County jails, where you and your loved one stay separated by a barrier or a video screen. For security, staff monitor all video visits at places like East Baton Rouge Parish Prison and Gwinnett County Jail. If you'd also like to add money for phone calls or snacks, read about putting money on inmate books.

Can the jail take away or cancel your visit?

Visits are privileges, not rights, in the jail's view. Clayton County Corrections states that this privilege can be denied, suspended, or revoked by the facility.

While you're on jail grounds, do everything staff tell you. Visitors who break the rules during jail visiting hours in Clayton County can be arrested, removed, or refused entry. The jail can also take you off the approved visitor list, either temporarily or for good.

Stick to the visitor headcount limit too, like the 4-person cap on each video call in Marion County, Indiana. When you'd rather bring your loved one home, learn about bailing someone out of jail.