How Prisons in Each State Are Restricting Visits Due to Coronavirus
Posted by Posted by Cary Aspinwall, et al. (Reposted by Team Wilson Reports) on 8th Oct 2020
All visits suspended
ALABAMA
All visitation, including legal visits, has been suspended since March 13. Urgent legal meetings are considered on a case-by-case basis.
ALASKA
All visitation, including legal visits, has been suspended since March 13.
ARIZONA
Visitation has been suspended since March 13. Legal visits are also suspended.
ARKANSAS
All visitation, including legal visits, has been suspended since March 16. Legal visits may be granted on a case-by-case basis.
CALIFORNIA
Normal visitation has been suspended since March 13, and legal visits suspended since April 7. Overnight family visits have been suspended since March 16.
GEORGIA
All visitation, including legal visits, has been suspended since March 13.
LOUISIANA
Personal visits has been suspended since March 12. Legal visits are also suspended, but exceptions may be made at the discretion of the warden.
MONTANA
Visitation has been suspended since March 13. Legal visits are also suspended.
NEVADA
All visitation, including legal visits, has been suspended since March 7.
NEW MEXICO
All visits, including contact, non-contact, and legal visits have been temporarily suspended.
TEXAS
Personal visits have been suspended since March 13. Legal visits are also suspended, though some exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis for Death Row prisoners with execution dates set.
VIRGINIA
Personal visits have been suspended since March 13. Legal visits are also suspended.
Regular visits suspended, but legal visits allowed
Personal visits have been suspended since March 11. Legal visits are allowed, but they will be non-contact visits.
CONNECTICUT
Personal visits have been suspended since March 13. Legal visits are allowed, but officials strongly recommend communicating by phone instead.
HAWAII
Personal visits have been suspended since March 13, but legal visits are allowed.
IDAHO
Personal visits have been suspended since March 13. Legal visits are allowed, but officials strongly recommend communicating by phone instead.
ILLINOIS
Personal visits have been suspended since March 14. Legal visits are allowed, but attorneys will be screened upon arrival.
INDIANA
Visitation has been suspended since March 11. Legal visits are allowed, but attorneys will be screened upon arrival for contact visits.
IOWA
Personal visits have been suspended since March 14. Legal visits are allowed, but non-contact visits are strongly encouraged, and attorneys will be screened upon arrival.
KANSAS
Personal visits have been suspended since March 12. Legal visits are allowed, but officials strongly recommend communicating by phone or in writing.
KENTUCKY
Personal visits have been suspended since March 14. Legal visits are allowed, but non-contact visits are strongly encouraged and attorneys may be screened upon arrival.
MARYLAND
Personal visits have been suspended since March 12, but legal visits are allowed.
MICHIGAN
Personal visits have been suspended since March 13, but legal visits are allowed.
MISSISSIPPI
Personal visits have been suspended since March 12, but legal visits are allowed.
NEBRASKA
Personal visits were suspended on March 16. Legal visits are allowed, but attorneys will be screened on entry. On July 15, began for those who pre-registered, but visits were again suspended on August 7th.
NEW JERSEY
Personal visits have been suspended since March 10, but legal visits are allowed.
OKLAHOMA
Visitation was suspended on March 13, and legal visits were allowed. Limited visits resumed on June 5, but was later cancelled again on Sept. 30.
OREGON
All visitation, including legal visits, were suspended on March 12. On Aug. 24, Oregon began to allow legal visits only in prisons with no none COVID-19 cases.
PENNSYLVANIA
Personal visits have been suspended since March 13, but legal visits are allowed. Legal visitation was suspended for one day, March 13.
RHODE ISLAND
All visitation, including legal visits, were suspended on March 11. Urgent medical visits are allowed. On Aug. 12, visits with attorneys resumed.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Personal visits have been suspended since March 13, but legal visits are allowed.
SOUTH DAKOTA
Visitation has been suspended since March 12, but legal visits are allowed.
UTAH
Personal visits have been suspended since March 12. Legal visits are allowed, but they will be non-contact visits.
VERMONT
Personal visits have been suspended since March 13, but legal visits are allowed.
WASHINGTON
Personal visits have been suspended since March 12, but legal visits are allowed.
WEST VIRGINIA
Personal visits have been suspended, but legal visits are allowed.
WISCONSIN
Personal visits have been suspended since March 13, but legal visits are allowed.
WYOMING
Personal visits have been suspended since March 18. Lawyers are allowed access, but may not have physical contact with prisoners and can only meet through phone or video calls.
Visits resumed with limitations
Visitation was suspended on March 12 "until the DOC implements enhanced screening measures." Legal visits are allowed. Limited visitation resumed on Sept. 1. Earlier in the summer, it briefly restarted on June 29 before being suspended again on July 14
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Washington, D.C., sends its prisoners to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, where all visitation, including legal visits, were suspended on March 13, though attorneys could be approved for an in-person visit on a case-by-case basis. On Oct. 3, some federal prisons began to reopen for non-contact personal visits, with restrictions.
FLORIDA
Personal visits were suspended on March 11, but legal visits were allowed. On Oct. 2, Florida began to allow limited visits with some restrictions.
MAINE
Personal visits were suspended on March 12, but legal visits were allowed. Limited non-contact visits resumed on July 13.
MASSACHUSETTS
Personal visits were suspended on March 13, but legal visits were allowed. On July 8, the corrections department began to phase in limited personal visits at some facilities. On Sept. 28, the department opened non-contact personal visits to all prisons, with restrictions in place.
MINNESOTA
Personal visits were suspended on March 12. Legal visits are allowed, but they will not be face-to-face visits. On July 22, the state resumed limited personal visits at seven prisons that have not had two positive cases in the previous two weeks.
MISSOURI
Personal visits were suspended March 12, but legal visits were allowed. On June 25, visits resumed at 3 prisons, with some precautions. One of these facilities later had to stop visits while others resumed them.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
All visitation, including legal visits, were suspended on March 16. Starting on Aug. 10, limited personal and attorney visits resumed.
NEW YORK
Visitation was suspended starting March 14. Legal visits were allowed. On Aug. 6,visitation began to resume, with some limits. Those traveling from states on a quarantine list would not be permitted.
NORTH CAROLINA
Personal visits were suspended on March 13, but legal and pastoral visits were allowed. On Oct. 1, North Carolina began to allow visits with significant restrictions.
NORTH DAKOTA
All contact visits were suspended on March 12. Legal visits were also suspended but could be arranged with a warden on a case-by-case basis. On June 27, the state began to phase in outdoor visits at one adult prison and a youth facility for a limited number of people. Visits were later closed again at the adult prison on July 31.
OHIO
Personal visits were suspended on March 12. Legal visits were allowed, and attorneys were screened on entry. Outdoor visits began at some prisons on July 8.
TENNESSEE
Personal visits were suspended on March 12, as were legal visits, though wardens could grant special requests for in-person access. On Oct. 3, Tennessee reopened three prisons for limited visitation.
FEDERAL
All visitation, including legal visits, were suspended by the Federal Bureau of Prisons on March 13, though attorneys could be approved for an in-person visit on a case-by-case basis. On Oct. 3, some federal prisons began to reopen for non-contact personal visits, with restrictions.
