Families and friends can visit from Thursdays to Sundays though the weekends are the days that get very crowded. Women, children and a few men stand on line waiting to check their driver license in order to go inside. Lines get very heavy and busy and many days people have to wait a long, long time. It makes no sense to complain, people, one way or another have to wait endlessly. Time is precious inside Folsom State Prison, you are always aware that five minutes represent a lot.
Most visitors are women, wives, mothers, friends.
Many of them live around the area, in Folsom, Sacramento, others come as far as San Jose, Fresno and Los Angeles. People visiting prisoners learn to be patient, calm and basically understanding in order to cope with so many difficulties, burocratism, abuse and rejection. After waiting for a while in a big waiting room your name is called and a guard instructs you about the items you can take inside, a key, some dollar bills for the vending machines inside, some Kleenex, and that's all. Regulations are very strict and tough, if someone brings alcohol or drugs, visits will be suspended for periods that range from three months to a year. You then board a bus that will take you to the section you are visiting.