Louisiana Administrative Code › Title 22 - CORRECTIONS, CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT › Part I - Corrections › Chapter 3 - Adult Services › Subchapter A - General › Section I-316 - Offender Visitation

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024
A.
				  Purpose-to establish the protocol through which offenders may receive visits
				  from persons outside the department in order to preserve family ties and
				  relationships in the community while maintaining safe, secure and orderly
				  management and operation of the institution.
B. Applicability-deputy secretary, chief of
				  operations, communications director, regional wardens and wardens. Each warden
				  shall be responsible for ensuring that appropriate unit written policy and
				  procedures are in place to comply with the provisions of this regulation and
				  for conveying its content to all offenders, affected employees and
				  visitors.
C. Policy. It is the
				  secretary's policy that authorized visitation be permitted at each institution
				  and that each institution conducts the visiting process in accordance with this
				  regulation and with as much uniformity and consistency as possible while
				  considering the institution's physical limitations and security needs. Thus,
				  the visiting process shall not overly tax the institution's resources or its
				  ability to maintain adequate supervision and security. In this matter, as in
				  all others affecting institutional operations, safety and security are primary
				  considerations. Additionally, maintaining offenders' ties with the community,
				  including their family and loved ones, is vital to the carrying out of the
				  department's mission to successfully reintegrate offenders into society. Any
				  restrictions placed on visiting privileges pursuant to this regulation shall be
				  rationally related to legitimate penological interests.
NOTE: The department understands the importance of
					 visitation in maintaining an offender's relationships; visitation is an
					 integral component of institutional management. The department recognizes that
					 the majority of offenders will be released into the community and that the
					 offender's eventual reintegration may be more successful if a visitation
					 program permits the maintenance of social relationships. Visiting may improve
					 public safety and encourage offender accountability.
D. Definitions
Attorney Visit
-
v
isit by
					 an attorney or authorized representative, such as a paralegal, legal assistant,
					 law clerk and investigator whose credentials have been verified.
Contact Visit
-visitation in an area free
					 of obstacles or barriers that prohibit physical contact between offender and
					 visitors.
Contraband
-
a. For the purpose of this regulation, and
				  pursuant to
				  R.S.
				  14:402,
contraband
means:
i. any controlled dangerous substance as
				  defined in
				  R.S.
				  40:961 et seq. or any other drug or substance
				  that, if taken internally, whether separately or in combination with another
				  drug or substance, produces or may produce a hypnotic or intoxicating effect.
				  This shall not apply to a drug or substance that has been prescribed by a
				  physician, if:
(a). the drug or substance is
				  in a container issued by the pharmacy or other place of dispensation;
(b). the container identifies the
				  prescription number, prescribing physician, and issuing pharmacist or other
				  person; and
(c). the container is
				  not concealed upon the body of the person;
NOTE: Only prescribed medication that is lifesaving or life
					 sustaining shall be permitted and medication shall be limited in quantity to no
					 more than that required for the duration of the visit. Visitors must advise
					 institutional staff at the visiting desk that he/she is in possession of
					 medication. See Section H. Visiting Guidelines for more information on
					 medication allowed during visitation.