Code of Vermont Rules › Agency 13 - AGENCY OF HUMAN SERVICES › Sub-Agency 130 - DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS › Chapter 011 - VISITS (966) › Section 13 130 011 - VISITS (966)

Current through June, 2024
POLICY
SUBJECT AREA:
EFFECTIVE:
960-999 Civil Rights
and Opportunities
UNITS AFFECTED: All
Correctional Facilities
INTRODUCTION
The Department urges and encourages extensive visiting to
				  foster and maintain family and community ties. Therefore, in order to ensure
				  that the facility does not isolate the residents from the public and from their
				  families and friends, each facility shall establish visiting practices that are
				  as open as facility resources, program demands, and security will
				  permit.
OBJECTIVE
To establish guidelines within which specific visiting
				  practices can be developed at correctional facilities.
GROUP SERVED
Staff and residents at all correctional facilities.
POLICY DESCRIPTION
Each Superintendent shall ensure that each facility
				  establishes a visiting program which will designate the days of the week and
				  the hours during which visits will be permitted. This program will be reviewed
				  annually and updated if necessary by the Superintendent. Visiting hours may be
				  varied to satisfy the schedules, space, and personnel restraints of individual
				  facilities.
Space shall be made available within each facility to be used
				  by residents and visitors with some degree of privacy. Visiting should be
				  conducted informally and openly, consistent with the facility requirements and
				  the availability of space in each facility.
Each facility shall adopt rules of conduct for their visiting
				  areas. Where security is required, a visiting room officer should be present
				  during all visiting hours, and it will be his responsibility to maintain order
				  and security and to enforce the rules of conduct. He should supervise the
				  visiting area in an unobtrusive a manner as possible, and should not
				  unnecessarily interfere with participants' privacy. Any behavior on the part of
				  a resident or visitor which is disruptive to the order and control of the
				  visiting room shall result in termination of the visit.
The number of visits or visitors a resident may receive may
				  be limited consistent with institutional security and space availability. While
				  several members of a family may be allowed to visit, group meeting with one or
				  more residents do not fall within the scope of this policy. They are more
				  properly considered as a program question subject to the review and control of
				  the Superintendent and the Classification Committee.
Visitors
No group of persons, such as parolees or ex-offenders may be
				  excluded from visiting residents solely because of their status.
				  Representatives of media are considered visitors and are subject to the
				  visiting rules and regulations of the facility.
Visitors will be refused admission if apparently under the
				  influence of alcohol or narcotic drugs.
Each visitor shall, upon entry, register his name, address,
				  and relationship to the resident. Visitors may be requested to submit to a
				  search and/or to a review by an electronic device in search of contraband as a
				  protection to the visitor, the residents, and others in the facility. (See also
				  Policy 1012--Contraband.)
Entrance may be prohibited if the visitor is not willing to
				  submit to a search or if there is reason to believe that the visit could be a
				  threat to the welfare or security of the facility, its personnel, or the
				  residents.
When a visitor is refused entrance, the person to be visited
				  shall be advised of this fact and told the reasons for the refusal.
Visits by clergy, corrections employees, and other
				  individuals in official positions may be permitted at times other than normal
				  visiting hours subject to facility requirements for security, staff
				  availability, etc.
Attornies
It is recognized that residents have a right to consult with
				  an attorney, and every effort should be made to allow attorney visits at all
				  reasonable times. The resident has the right to private counsulation, but does
				  not have a right to absolute privacy. Such visits may also be governed by
				  reasonable regulations, such as interruption for fixed meal times, so long as
				  any restrictions do not work a hardship on the resident or attorney (e.g.,
				  where the attorney travels great distances and will be unable to return for
				  some time). (See also Policy 446--Detentioners/"Safekeepers."
Extended Visits
Each Superintendent shall develop guidelines for determining
				  which residents may be permitted extended visits on furlough status with their
				  families. These guidelines shall contain the lengths of allowable visits, where
				  the visit is to take place, and other special conditions consistent with the
				  Department Policy 601--Furlough and Furlough Revocation.
General Provisions
The Superintendent shall have complete discretionary
				  authority to allow emergency visits.
Limits may be placed on the visiting program of a resident in
				  a special classification status.
Each facility shall adopt visiting regulations consistent
				  with this policy and make them available to all residents and visitors.
LEGAL REFERENCES
28
				  V.S.A. Sec. 102(c)
28
				  V.S.A. Sec. 601(7)
28 V.S.A. Sec.
				  804
28
				  V.S.A. Sec. 805
Cornelius Hogan, Commissioner
Statutory Authority:
				  28
				  V.S.A. §§
											103,
				  601,
				  804,
				  805