For Your Information about TDCJ

The TDCJ visitation site has a lot of information. https://www.tdcj.texas.gov/news/TDCJ_visitation.html

You must be an approved visitor on the visitation portal.

You must make an appointment.

Become an Approved Visitor

Your LO will fill out visitor paperwork on his side, and you get approved on the visitation portal on your side. Make sure the name, address, and relationship you both put are identical. If you spell something wrong, or have different versions of how you are related, it won’t get approved. This takes a few days after he arrives.

Once approved, you can schedule a visit. Visits are 2 hours.

Your LO will be eligible for visitation well before he is eligible for phone calls, so the video or in-person visit is the only way to talk to him for the first 1-4 months. (There is also e-messaging ,explained in another article.)

Can I visit while he is in intake at a transfer unit?

Yes! As soon as he lists you as a visitor and you get approved on the visitation portal, you can schedule a visit.

My Approval Request Keeps Disappearing

It is normal for it take a few days for approval, but rejection is trickier. Rather than getting a rejection letter, in a few days your request for approval may quietly disappear. If that happens, ask your LO exactly how he spelled your name and address on his visitor form. It has to be spelled exactly that way on the visitor portal. Ask your LO what relationship he put you are (e.g. wife or mother) and you need to put the relationship that matches. (e.g. He is my husband or son). If you have everything correct, and it still keeps disappearing, you can call the unit and ask.

Don’t Get Turned Away

If you are driving to your in-person visit, you must have a drivers license. You must have an appointment. Clean out your car ahead of time including the center console, trunk, and glove box. It reduces the time to search your vehicle and decreases the chance you are accidentally bringing in a tool, a weapon, a beer, or any number of items that can get you banned.

What to Bring In

After you park , *bring in only a car key or FOB, an id, and quarters. Even the keychain is not allowed. Everything else must be locked in the car. Leave your phone in the car. Leave your credit card in the car. Literally bring one key, one id, and quarters. Check your pockets. Money is contraband in prison and if you have a $10 bill in your pocket, they can assume it’s because you are intending to deliver contraband.

No Lockers

There are not lockers at visitation. It is expected that your phone and other items will be locked in the car.

Video Visits

Video Visits at TDCJ

Vending Machines

Each adult can bring up to $35 in quarters in a clear bag, such as a ziploc bag. The vending machines are expensive and your LO will probably be hungry, so bring the whole $35 if you can swing it. The old handbook says $25, but a bulletin was issued and it’s $35.

Yes, if you have two adults coming, you can each bring $35. The TDCJ guideline is clear about that. I personally don’t go over $35, but they don’t count it.

My LO is at Holliday Intake Unit and so this information may or may not be different at your LOs unit.

At Holliday Transfer Unit, for non contact visits, they do let you buy snacks, give the snacks to the guard at the desk, and they can get it to your LO.

Your LO cannot bring any food items back to his pod with him so finish those during your visit. Some people might make multiple trips to the vending machine but check with the guard before trying that because it might be limited to one trip only.
At Holliday Unit, take all the snacks to the guard and put them on a tray for the guard to examine. They have chips, candy, and sodas. There are not sandwiches like they have at some units. At Holliday, the vending machines are typically well-stocked and working (well, at least a couple are always working), which cannot be said for all units.

In summertime, any chocolate they order from commissary melts, so they may be craving chocolate. Get him a couple of things before he arrives and then he can see the vending machine and can tell you what he wants.

Holliday allows 2 trips although this may depend on which guards are working. Make one trip before he gets there so you have a snack and drink for him right away, and another after he looks at the machines and decides what he wants. Keep the snacks sealed until you get instructions from the guard.

Coming from afar

If you are coming from 250 miles away, you can request an extended visit.

For Holliday or other Huntsville-based units, you can contact the Hospitality House in Huntsville. They can provide accommodations, meals, and spiritual guidance. https://www.thehospitalityhouse.org/

What should I bring from home?

• Valid drivers license is required for whoever is driving onto the property
• Any other visitors must be approved and must bring ID
• Older children who might possibly look like adults, you might bring a school-id, but it wasn’t required in most people’s stories
• Make sure your ID address and name matches the visitation portal.
• They won’t let you in if the address on your ID doesn’t match the address they have on file for you. Your LO can file an i-60 if he needs to update your address.
• Up to $35 in quarters for the vending machines.
• Print out of your visit appointment in case of any glitches
• Shoes that are easy to get on/off for security. Sandals or open toe shoes are allowed.
• Backup clothes in case your outfit isn’t approved.
• Leave the jewelry at home, or you will have to take if off/on at security.
• No smart watches or fitbits
• Don’t wear all white
• You can’t bring him anything
• You can’t bring in food or drinks. They can be purchased from the vending machines.

Summer Visits may be Hot

Summer visits at Holliday, it’s very hot in the visitation area so don’t wear anything heavy, but absolutely be sure to follow dress code. The visitation area is air conditioned, but it doesn’t get very cool.

Dress Code tips *

• Dress Conservatively. If they guard says you can’t go in, you can’t go in.
• don’t wear all white because your LOs will be in white
• no distressed jeans
• no holes in clothes
• no rips
• no leggings
• they are very strict
• dresses need to be at least knee length
• you can be turned away for showing too much cleavage
• nothing too tight
• nothing see through
• No shorts, unless they are to the knee
• No short dresses
• No smart watch
• They aren’t as strict with a dress code for small children
• There are more rules on the TDCJ site.

If you aren’t sure of your outfit, bring a backup in the car. The guard may give you a plastic gown to wear to cover up.

The COs can be very picky. Dress conservatively. Don’t show any cleavage at all. Wear loose clothing. They won’t let you in with tight clothing.

What time should I arrive?

If it’s your first time, you can tell the guards so they may be more understanding. Arrive about 30 minutes early. If you want to arrive 45-60 minutes early for your first visit, it’s ok but they might not let you on the premises until 30 minutes prior.

What to expect

At Holliday, here is how we do it. Wait in the car line, and your vehicle will be searched and sniffed by drug dogs. You park and leave all belongings in the car except a key, an id, and quarters. Lock your car. Wait in line at the office. They will search you, go through medical detectors, and you may be asked to remove shoes and be patted down. Get your visitation slip and id. Show the id on camera so they will open the gate. The officer will hold your id until the end of the visit. Using the bathroom before the visit is a good idea. Sit down until your LO is called. For contact visits, get everything you want from vending machines, go to the check-in table, open it, put some napkins down, and dump the items on a tray for the guard to examine. When your LO comes in, he needs to sit on the other side of the table from you. You can do a hug and a kiss at arrival and departure. No tongue and no making out. Holliday has tables and chairs (some units have concrete stools), and the tables aren’t so wide so you can hold hands on top of the table. It’s loud, but not so loud you can’t enjoy each others company. When the visit is over, you get a hug and kiss again. You remain seated while your LOs exit. The COs will throw away anything not eaten because you can’t take it back (which sometimes depends on who is working). Wait until all the inmates leave and wait until the guard says it’s ok to get up. Get your ID back and you will show it on camera to get buzzed out. They will search the car on the way out. Have a safe trip home.

Can ladies wear an underwire bra?

Yes, however, you might be taken aside by a female guard for an additional check.

Jewelry slows down Security

You can wear jewelry but it’s extra time when you have to take if off to go through security.

All the visits are taken. How can I book a visit?

Saturday at midnight and Sunday at midnight, the next set of visits that are 5 weeks out open up. Sometimes people will cancel a visit, and sometimes an inmate gets transferred to another unit, and their visitation is automatically canceled. If you have a choice between contact and non-contact, take contact as it is more pleasant and personal. Non-contact is behind glass. Contact visits will become a choice after 60 days if you are family.

How many visits can I book?

If you want to book visits for the next 5 weekends, it will take you 5 days to book them. You can book one visit per day before the site won’t let you schedule anymore, and it won’t let you see the schedule anymore.

When should I visit?

Visits are Saturdays and Sundays. *One visit per weekend per inmate. For Holliday, the 8am visits aren’t ideal because they start letting cars onto the property at 8am, so it eats into your visitation time a bit. I’ve heard of some places being out of vending machine snacks if you have the last appointment of the day, but at Holliday Unit they tend to be well stocked, and at least a couple of the machines are working. The visitation area is air conditioned so if it’s summer, and you choose the hottest part of the day for a visit, you just got your loved one two hours of AC. Note that the AC isn’t that good, and it’s still pretty hot at visitation, but nothing like our LOs are enduring in the pods.

The first weekend of the month is picture day. They will take one picture of your loved one alone, and one picture of you and your loved one together. For non-contact visits, they take the picture through the glass. You need to tell the guard that takes your id that you want a picture. You give an email address and you will get the pictures within a week. Check your spam folder! They delete the pictures so you want to call the unit after a week if you don’t get them. They don’t take pictures on father’s day or any special occasion, it is just the first weekend of the month. At Holliday, they are pretty consistent. Other units I’ve heard are short staffed at times and can’t take pictures.

Why does my LO’s record say Eligible for Visitation: No?

If you are not yet approved for visitation for the first time, it will say No.

If he has already had a visit for the week, it will show him ineligible for a visit until the next week. Check on Monday, which is the start of the new week, to see if it lists him as eligible again.

It’s also possible they lost visitation privileges.

Special Requirements

Can I bring a service dog? The Inmate Rules and Regulations for Visitation says it is permitted, but read the paragraph here: https://www.tdcj.texas.gov/documents/cid/Inmate_Rules_and_Regulations_for_Visitation_English.pdf

I have seen advice that says to call or try to get it in writing that it’s ok. It is illegal to not allow a service dog, but there is a lot of turnover of guards and if a new one doesn’t know the law, they might deny you.

Can I go in on crutches or in a boot? People do get in with those, but call the unit to make sure there won’t be problems.

Can I drive on the premises with an expired registration? Some people say they have been denied while others say it was not a problem. You do need a drivers license if you are the one driving.

Can I <fill in the blank with anything weird>? Call the Unit to verify.

Kids

Are there games to play at visitation? No, just table and chairs. Some units may provide coloring pages and crayons for kids. You can’t bring in anything except your key and quarters, unless it’s the baby supplies on the website.

There is a max of two adults at visitation, and kids don’t count in that number.

Identification

You need a drivers license or Texas State id where the address matches the address on the visitation portal. The TDCJ site specifically states your id must have an address, so that means a passport wouldn’t work. Call the unit if you have a special circumstance.

If your kids are teens, TDCJ site recommends bringing their student id or birth certificate, in case their physical maturity might make them appear older than 17.

Car Search

Refusing or failing the vehicle search on the way in or out will get banned from visitation! Don’t come if you are going to refuse the vehicle search.

If you arrive too early, they might not let you through the gate, so coming 30 minutes early is good.

Try to have an empty car so the guards don’t have so much to search.

They search everything including glove box, trunk, the console, hood, and your purse. Read the visitation website so you don’t get banned by accidentally having a budweiser in the trunk. If you have a truck bed, read the website. As an example, you can get in trouble for trying to bring in a shovel. The car is searched on the way out too.

Keep your car radio volume low. It’s in the rules that loud music is forbidden.

In addition to the youtube video posted at the top, TDCJ has several more videos about visitation where they show a car search.

Can I arrive in an Uber?

Yes, however, you cannot bring your phone into visitation and there are not lockers. You are expected to leave your belongings in the car, which is pretty difficult when you don’t have a car. It’s also difficult to call an uber when you don’t have a phone. You could prearrange with a cab or Uber to pick you up.

Why was my visit cancelled?

Before you leave home, check if your visitation was cancelled which can occur if the unit goes on annual lockdown, loses power, your LO gets transferred, or your LO loses privileges.

You will get a notification if your visit is canceled. If all visits are cancelled, the bar at the top of the visitation portal will say “Visits Cancelled”

Note that although some units cancel visitation during lockdown or power outages, it might still continue. It depends on the warden, the type of lockdown, and other factors.

Canceling a visit

If you want to cancel your own visit, go to the portal and cancel it. Visits are always full so another family will be appreciative for sure!

If your loved one is transferred to another facility, all your visitation appointments will be cancelled. When you are trying to figure out where he was sent, note that the visitation portal will update faster than the TDCJ site so check there. (You can only check the visitation portal if you are already using it. This trick does not work for people who are brand new to TDCJ, and who haven’t already been approved for visitation.)

Changing A Visit

There is no way to change a visit other than canceling and signing up for a different visit.

If you have an appointment and decide your husband wants to visit instead of you, the best advice is both of you login to your visitation portals. You cancel and he should see one visitation spot free and he can sign up. The cancellation has to be done 3 days ahead. If you cancel within 2 days of the visit, the visit is cancelled and no one else can sign up for it.

If you have an appointment and your husband wants to visit with you, and he is an approved visitor, he can just come with you. Max of 2 approved visitors. If one of you isn’t eligible for a contact visit, then both of you have to do the non contact visit.

If you have an appointment and you can’t make it, your husband cannot go without you. The person who made the visit has to be present, so you would use the trick above where you cancel and he signs up for that spot seconds later.

Contact Visits

You can see an example of a contact visit in the video above where you sit across a table from one another and there is no glass. Non Contact visits are behind glass. Contact visits are for family only and are available 60 days after he arrives at TDCJ. See the extended definition of family on the TDC site. The main thing for any kind of visit is that you both have to put the same relationship status. He puts uncle on his visitor form, and you put he is your nephew on the visitation portal. If you are the only friend visiting, you can ask the warden for contact visits and it may or may not be approved. Misrepresenting your relationship can get you banned for years. See article below.

The inmate must have finished intake and wait 60 days for a contact visit (that is the rule on the website, but at Holliday, people are getting contact visits after 60 days, even if he isn’t finished with intake.)

This video gives an older overview and there are many more videos from TDCJ about visitation.

Can I have a contact visit with my boyfriend or fiancée?

No. That is not in the definition of family. Common law wife / Common law husband is in the definition. Keep in mind that on the visitor portal you have to put “common law husband”, and on his visitor form, he has to put “common law wife.” If you didn’t do that from the beginning, and later want to change your relationship, you will likely have to provide proof. At Holliday, they weren’t asking for proof if you both put the same relationship at the start, only if you changed the relationship later, but of course, different units and different guards do things differently. If you have proof such as a lease with both your names on it, that would be safest.

If an inmate is only getting visits from one person, and that one person is not family, you can request to have those visits changed to contact visits.

If you aren’t getting approved on the visitation portal, call the unit to ask why. If address or relationship doesn’t match, it won’t approve you and the unit might be able to tell you why it isn’t getting approved. Also, check your spam folder if any info arrived there.

Call the Unit

Always call the unit if you are doing anything unusual or nonstandard to get clarity on what is permitted.

Any tips for my Loved One?

• Advise your loved one to go the bathroom before visitation. The guide says they get a strip search when they leave the area to go to the bathroom AND when they come back from the bathroom.
• Have him e-message you with what he wants from vending.
• They will end the visit in a real hurry if he gives you anything, if he tries to touch you under the table etc.

Change of Address

If the address on your id changes, your LO has to update your address on the visitation list. This can be done anytime. Additions to the visitation list can only be done very 6 months, but changes can be done anytime.

Again, make sure the address on your id matches the address your LO filled out on his visitor list. They are very strict about this.

Split Visits

You can have two visitors at once for 2 hours. You can also do a split visit where one visits for an hour, and another person visits the second hour. I believe it is a 2 person maximum at a time, so you could have 4 people; 2 in the first hour, 2 in the second hour. You have to coordinate with one another and the unit.

Commissary

Once you are approved as a visitor or approved on texas prison phones, you can add money to his commissary.

Any of this can change

Dont expect everything to go exactly as described here. My LO is at Holliday Unit and different units do things differently, and even at Holliday things can be different depending on who is working. This article is from 2024 and can be outdated quickly. Always check the TDCJ site and when it doubt, call the unit.

Visitation Site

https://www.tdcj.texas.gov/news/TDCJ_visitation.html

Go to the visitation site for links about

• Dress code
• Proper ID
• Videos showing car search, check in etc
• prohibited item list
  

Comment Below

Feel free to leave a comment if anything is incorrect or if you have information that could help others.

Behave!

Be careful about testing their rules or pushing the limits of the rules. See this article:

It’s Very Easy to get Banned from TDCJ Visitation

More TDCJ For Your Information Articles

https://fyitexasprisons.com/

Asterisks

For comments with an asterisk, here is a bit more info:

*Visits with babies or special needs, read the website or call the unit.

*Visits from afar, confirm with the unit to confirm before your long drive.

*Dress Code is just some tips, See the TDCJ site for a full list. Some units might let you go change in the car, or give you a trash bag cover up, but you may also be sent home.

*There can be variations by unit and even by guards within one unit.

*One visit per inmate per weekend is the norm. idk if there may be exceptions for traveling a long way or other special circumstances.