The rules vary slightly between facilities. Here at Lewisburg they are currently allowing 3 visits per calendar month. They can occur on weekends and Federal holidays between 8am and 3pm. You’re allowed a maximum of 5 visitors per visit. All visitors over 18 need to be approved in advance and a background check is required. The visitor needs to complete, sign, and mail form BP-A0629 and it’s been taking 10-14 days from mailing to get my visitors approved. Unlimited family members and up to 10 friends can be on your approved visitor list. I have been getting strip searched on the way in and need to wear my Khakis and only bring my ID card. Nothing else. No jacket, pen, paper, etc. I can wear my sneakers, wedding ring and necklace (It’s a St. Joseph medal on a chain), which they write down to keep track of. My visitors go through a metal detector and can bring in a clear bag containing only their ID, cash, coins, credit card, sanitary items, and some items for small children. No phones, paper, pens, food, games, etc are allowed. Visitors need to hang up their coats upon arrival. We can kiss and hug at the beginning and end. During the visit, adults are not supposed to touch, hold hands, etc. Children can sit on inmates’ laps and interact more normally. There are vending machines where the visitors can purchase soda, snacks, pre-made sandwiches for themselves and the inmates, and there is a microwave to heat up the sandwiches (inmates can’t go near the vending machines or microwave or handle money). The visitation room has sets of 2 and 4 chairs set up around the room with some small tables used for snacks and games (the chairs are set up so they face each other in groups of 2 and 4 and you can take extra chairs if your group is 4-5 visitors). There are a few decks of cards and two Uno decks that can be borrowed for your group. There is also a room for young children that has a tv and some games, but inmates are not allowed in there. Starting March 19th and weather permitting, there is a small outdoor section with metal picnic tables in a fenced area adjacent to the main room through windows that can be used. There is always at least one corrections officer (CO) at a raised desk watching us and enforcing the rules. There are different CO’s that do the strip searches and check visitors in.
If the visitation room is full and more visitors arrive, they tell the visitors who have been there the longest to leave. This has only occurred once to us where Patti visited at 8:30 and got kicked out at noon. Of course this was her first visit. Luckily, she stayed over at my friend Chuck’s house and returned the next day. Chuck, his wife Nikki, and children Caterina and Jackson live 30 minutes north of Lewisburg in Hughesville. Before January 1st, 2024 they were not enforcing 3 visits per month. Tomorrow Patti will be visiting me again and bringing my Dad for the second time and my sister-in-law Svitlana for the first time. My son Connor also surprised me during that visit. Visits require a 300 mile and typically five hour round trip drive from our home. Patti and I find them so beneficial! Some might wonder what we could possibly talk about or how many games of cards or Uno we could play for almost 6 hours, but we often run out of time and wish the visit could last longer. We aren’t supposed to touch or hold hands, but have found some ways to do so at times. Typically if someone takes advantage of the situation they warn us at the end of the visit and typically folks behave better next time. Early in November after I arrived, but before any of my visitors were approved, they had two indoor visitation rooms open and were lax with the rules. Rumor has it an inmate got oral sex from his girl and bragged about it. Then the next weekend a different inmate did the same. Visitors (likely with children) complained and now we have all these policies being enforced again just in time for Patti and I. For many folks here if you give them an inch, they take a yard. For example again today I was hungry so I lined up early for lunch around 10:35 and was #10. After waiting over 30 minutes, 40 inmates cut in front of me.
Luckily they let visitors wear pretty much any clothes, even though the official policy states nothing tight with lycra, etc. The way the rules are written the restrictions are for most common women’s outfits of today. Patti and my daughters have worn their everyday outfits without issues. Typically tight jeans, tops etc. Patti knows what I love and she’s been spoiling me by wearing my favorite tops and pants of hers. Upon leaving visitors are not searched. Inmates are patted down.
A note from Patti about visitation: I visited the first time on my own so I knew what to expect before I brought the kids. I was so nervous on the first visit, but other people visiting their loved ones explained the process. A form needs to be signed and filled out stating you are not bringing any contraband in and who you are visiting and your car info (they need to know cars are in the parking lot so random people don’t come in and introduce contraband). You put the form and your ID through a slot and the CO logs you in and gives you back your ID and then has you go through the metal detector and wands you if there is an issue. You walk into the room and pick a seat depending on how many people are in your group. Once I’m logged in they call Jim and he gets stripped searched in a room and then when he gets his clothes back on he comes out the door and gives his ID to the CO watching the room so they know who is in the room. The first time I saw him come through the door I was trembling and had butterflies. Seeing him for the first time and his beautiful smile made everything alright. He comes over to where I am sitting and we can give each other a big hug and a kiss. I hadn’t seen him in 17 days when our first visit occurred and that seemed like an eternity. Leaving him after my first two visits on that weekend was so hard and I had lots of tears sitting in my car. It has gotten easier with the leaving part and I don’t get as weepy. It is still so hard to visit and leave him there. So far I have visited him 10 times and I have gotten used to the awkwardness of the whole process. I am just so thankful that we are allowed to visit (this summer they took visitation away for at least 6 weeks as punishment for the bad behavior of a few). My plan is to visit him every opportunity I am allowed, as it is helping us keep our marriage strong. It is a long day, but the effort is well worth it and I know Jim is so appreciative. Headed back out this Sunday with Fiona, Gabriel and Charlotte so he can catch up with what is going on in their lives and hopefully Kelsy will get to visit him for the first time soon as her visitation form must have gotten lost and she wasn’t approved in time for when she was here for Christmas.
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