In order for family members and friends to visit incarcerated individuals, they must complete an electronic application, currently through the IDOC ViaPath Website for visitation (To apply electronically, the applicant must register an account with the vendor, which is free of charge). State Form 14387 Application for Visiting Privileges, shall provide visitors with the necessary information regarding visitation. Each facility shall designate a staff member to receive and process these applications.
Supplemental Documentation for Visitation Applications
Part of your application process includes the submission of required forms to prove your identity. These forms may include, but are not limited to, government identification, social security cards, birth certificates, approval letters, etc. You are required to submit these electronically to the Facility Visitation Coordinator of the facility you wish to visit. Failure to submit this additional documentation could cause a delay in your application or may cause your application to be rejected.
Identification for General Applications
All visitors age sixteen (16) years and older shall submit a photo identification. The only forms of identification accepted by the Department are:
- A valid driver’s (operator’s) license from the state of residence;
- A valid state photo identification card from the state of residence;
- A valid photo military identification card;
- A valid passport; and,
- A valid government identification card, including foreign governments
Additional Documentation for Special Circumstances
If there are special circumstances additional information may be required. We encourage you to reach out to the visitation coordinator as soon as possible to ensure a smooth and timely visitation process. The visitation coordinator is here to help guide you through the process, answer any questions, and ensure all your documentation is in order. Special circumstances include but are not limited to:
- Minor Visitors
Minor Visitors
Children less than 18 years of age must have their application completed by their parent/legal guardian. An adult visitor who has the notarized permission of the child’s parent or legal guardian who has current custody of the child may be allowed to bring the child to the facility for the visit; however, both the child and the adult visitor must have an application on file to visit the offender. State Form 48965 Authorization for Minor Child to Visit shall be used to allow an adult, other than the child’s parent or legal guardian, to bring a child into the facility to visit an offender. The parent authorization form must be notarized by a Notary Public and, if approved, must be presented each time the child visits along with a legible copy of the child’s birth certificate.
Visitors under the age of eighteen (18) years shall be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian at all times while on facility grounds. This procedure does not apply to an offender's spouse who is under the age of eighteen (18) years. Based upon a request from the offender, the Superintendent may grant an exception to this requirement. In cases where a parent or guardian cannot accompany a minor child, the Superintendent may approve another responsible adult to accompany the child during a visit. In these cases, the accompanying adult must be on the offender’s visitor list. The minor child’s parent or legal guardian must sign and have notarized State Form 48965, “Authorization for Minor Child to Visit.” The completed, notarized State Form 48965 and a legible copy of the child’s birth certificate must be presented to facility staff prior to each visit. Children under the age of 16 years of age shall be assigned a computer generated identification number in the offender information system. All visitors, regardless of age, shall be logged into the offender information system.
In cases where a parent or legal guardian cannot accompany a minor child, the Warden may approve another responsible adult to accompany the child during a visit. The adult shall be required to present a signed, notarized State Form 48965, “Authorization for a Minor Child to Visit,” each time the child is brought for visitation.
- Visitors with Disabilities
Visitors with Disabilities
Visitors who require a reasonable accommodation for a disability must contact the staff member responsible for processing visitors after scheduling each visit. We highly encouraging mentioning you have completed the ADA Request Form when contacting your Facility Visitation Coordinator.
- Staff Members
Staff Members
Staff shall notify the Superintendent in writing whenever a friend or relative is committed to the Department. A staff member may be permitted to visit an offender who is an immediate family member. Additionally, with sufficient justification, a staff member may be permitted to visit an offender who is a family member but not an immediate family member. In these cases, the staff member shall provide the facility with sufficient information to verify the relationship and the need for such visits.
A staff member must complete the application process and obtain prior written approval to visit an offender. The staff member shall obtain State Form 51058, “Request for Staff Contact with Offender,” from the facility. The form shall be submitted to the staff member’s Superintendent.
- Former Employees
Former Employees
Ex-employees who wish to visit an offender must complete the application process and make a written request for approval to the Superintendent of the facility housing the offender prior to the visit. Generally, ex-employees shall not be allowed to visit an offender who has been housed in the same facility in which the ex-employee was employed and who was incarcerated at the facility during the time the ex-employee was employed there. The Superintendent shall review the request and recommend whether the visit is in the best interest of the facility and the individuals involved. Unless the ex-employee and the offender are immediate family members or special circumstances exist, visits by ex-employees shall not be authorized until one (1) year after the ex-employee's separation from the Department. Ex-employees shall not be permitted to visit an offender if the relationship between the offender and the ex-employee started or resulted from contact between the ex-employee and the offender during the ex-employee’s period of employment with the Department. The Superintendent shall forward the request to the appropriate Regional Director for review and approval/denial. The Regional Director shall render a decision and so notify the Superintendent submitting the request. The decision of the Regional Director shall be final. Ex-employees shall not be allowed to visit an offender until the request to visit has been approved by the Regional Director. If the decision is to deny the request to visit, the ex-employee may submit another request one (1) year from the date of the denial.
In cases where an ex-employee has been terminated from employment, allowed to resign prior to termination, or during an investigation arising from a violation of Department rules or procedures involving an offender, (e.g. trafficking, inappropriate contact) the ex-employee shall be denied visitation privileges permanently from all Department facilities. Such denials shall be noted in the offender information system. If the request is approved and the offender is transferred to another facility, the approval shall continue to be in effect unless the Superintendent or designee of the new facility determines that there is a reason to require the ex-employee to submit a new request.
- Volunteers
Volunteers
Visits by volunteers as a part of an approved volunteer program at the facility shall be in addition to an offender's normal visiting schedule. Volunteers shall be advised of the facility's visitation rules/procedures during the volunteer's orientation training.
Persons who are providing services to offenders in a volunteer capacity may be allowed to visit one (1) offender outside of the approved volunteer program. Persons who are on an offender's visitation list may be permitted to provide volunteer services at the facility housing the offender if the volunteer’s program duties are such that visiting the offender would be in the best interests of the program and the offender. Volunteers may be allowed to visit an offender at a facility not receiving their services. However, they are to report to the Superintendent or designee of the facility where their services are provided and the Superintendent of the facility housing the offender that they are visiting an offender at another Department facility.
- Former Volunteers
Former Volunteers
Ex-volunteers who wish to visit an offender must make a written request for approval to the Superintendent of the facility housing the offender prior to the visit, in addition to completing the application process in Section V. The Superintendent shall review the request and recommend whether the visit is in the best interest of the facility and the individuals involved. Unless the ex-volunteer and the offender are immediate family members or special circumstances exist, visits by ex-volunteers shall not be authorized until one (1) year after the ex-volunteer's separation from the Department. The Superintendent shall forward the request to the appropriate Regional Director for review and approval/denial. The Regional Director shall render a decision and so notify the Superintendent submitting the request. The decision of the Regional Director shall be final. Ex-volunteers shall not be allowed to visit an offender until the request to visit has been approved by the Regional Director. If the decision is to deny the request to visit, the ex-volunteer may submit another request one (1) year from the date of the denial.
- Victims of Incarcerated Individuals
Victims of Incarcerated Individuals
Victims generally shall not be allowed to visit offenders, unless the visit is for therapeutic reasons and a therapist has requested the visit and will be a part of the visit, or the Superintendent or designee determines that the visit will be in the best interests of the offender’s re-entry into the community. Victims who are immediate family members of an offender may submit a request to the Superintendent of the facility housing the offender if they wish to visit the offender. The Superintendent or designee shall determine whether the offender has a Victim Notification (VN) flag involving the victim seeking to visit the offender. The Superintendent or designee shall review the records regarding the actual crime and determine whether it appears that the victim and offender can safely visit. Visits between victims and offenders, if approved by the Superintendent and completion of the application process in Section V, may be non-contact visits or other restrictions may be placed on the visits, including a requirement that the visit be supervised. Visits with victims as a part of a victim reconciliation or restorative justice program may be approved by the Superintendent, if the program provides details of the program and supervision of the visit is provided and it does not appear that the visit will be a threat to the safety and security of the facility or the persons involved. If a visit between an offender and a victim is approved and the offender has a Victim Notification flag, the Superintendent or designee shall contact the Victim Notification Section in Central Office to advise of the intended visit. An offender who is approved to visit with a victim may be permitted to meet with a Mental Health staff member either before or after the visit in accordance with the facility’s procedures for requesting Health Services.
- Previously Incarcerated Individuals
Previously Incarcerated Individuals
Ex-offenders shall not be permitted to visit offenders in Department facilities without the prior written approval of the Superintendent of the facility housing the offender to be visited. Ex-offenders shall be approved or denied for visitation on a case-by-case basis, after completion of the application process in Section V. Permission for visits by ex-offenders, who are not under any type of community supervision (e.g., parole or probation), may be considered after the ex-offender has been discharged or released from parole or probation supervision for a period of one (1) year. Individuals who received county jail time, but have never received a court order for any type of community supervision, and who have not been incarcerated in a state or federal prison do not fall under the (1) year consideration, and can be approved or denied at the discretion of the Superintendent.
Ex-offenders, including parolees, and probationers, may be considered for visits if special circumstances warrant such consideration. Special circumstances are visits that will aid in the incarcerated offender's Re-Entry programming. If still under probation / parole supervision, the ex-offender shall obtain written authorization from his/her parole / probation officer prior to consideration by the Superintendent. The original signed approval from the parole or probation officer must be sent to the Superintendent where the ex-offender is requesting visitation. The Superintendent shall consider the safety and security of the individuals and the facility as well as the value of the visit to the offender when granting approval or denial of requests to visit by ex-offenders. Approvals for an ex-offender to visit shall be for one (1) visit only, unless otherwise specified by the parole or probation officer, if applicable, and the Superintendent. Denials of requests to visit shall be noted in the offender information system. In cases of denials, the parolee or probationer may submit a request again no earlier than one (1) year from the date of the last denial. If the request is approved, and for more than one (1), and the offender is transferred to another facility, the approval shall continue to be in effect unless the Superintendent or designee of the new facility determines that there is a reason to require the ex-offender to submit a new request.
The Superintendent may approve for regular visitation an ex-offender who has children under the age of 18 with a current offender, provided the relationship of the children to the offender is verifiable and the ex-offender visits the offender with the mutual children each time. The ex-offender shall be subject to the same application approval process as other ex-offenders in this section of this policy and administrative procedure. The children shall be subject to the application approval process as outlined in Section V of this policy and administrative procedure.
Facility Visitation Coordinators
| Facility Name | Visitation Coordinator Email |
|---|---|
| Branchville Correctional Facility | Branchvillevizapp@idoc.in.gov |
| Chain O'Lakes Correctional Facility | ChainOLakesvizapp@idoc.in.gov |
| Correctional Industrial Facility | CorrIndvizapp@idoc.in.gov |
| Edinburgh Correctional Facility | Edinburghvizapp@idoc.in.gov |
| Heritage Trail Correctional Facility | HeritageTrailsvizapp@idoc.in.gov |
| Indiana State Prison | Michigancityvizapp@idoc.in.gov |
| Indiana Women's Prison | IndWomensvizapp@idoc.in.gov |
| LaPorte Juvenile Correctional Facility | LaPortevizapp@idoc.in.gov |
| Logansport Juvenile Correctional Facility | Logansportvizapp@idoc.in.gov |
| Madison Correctional Facility | Madisonvizapp@idoc.in.gov |
| Miami Correctional Facility | Miamivizapp@idoc.in.gov |
| New Castle Correctional Facility | NewCastlevizapp@idoc.in.gov |
| Pendleton Correctional Facility | PenCorrvizapp@idoc.in.gov |
| Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility | PenJuvenilevizapp@idoc.in.gov |
| Plainfield Correctional Facility | Plainfieldvizapp@idoc.in.gov |
| Putnamville Correctional Facility | Putnamvillevizapp@idoc.in.gov |
| Rockville Correctional Facility | Rockvillevizapp@idoc.in.gov |
| South Bend Work Release | SouthBendvizapp@idoc.in.gov |
| Wabash Valley Correctional Facility | Wabashvizapp@idoc.in.gov |
| Westville Correctional Facility | Westvillevizapp@idoc.in.gov |
Approval Process
It is important that the application is completed fully and all questions are answered truthfully. Failure to provide all necessary information may result in a delay in the processing of the application or a denial of visitation privileges. Falsifying an application shall result in the applicant being banned from all correctional facilities for a period of one (1) year.
This application, once approved, shall allow access to the facility to visit the designated offender. The signature of the visitor on the paper application and the submission of a completed electronic application acknowledge agreement to all rules and regulations included in this policy and administrative procedure, and its attachments, including criminal background/warrant checks through IDACS.
Once a decision is made either approving or denying the application, the offender shall be notified. The offender is responsible for advising applicants that their applications have been approved or denied. The applicant’s approved Department visiting application must be on file prior to visiting. Visitors shall be permitted to visit only one (1) offender within the Department unless the visitor has other immediate family members incarcerated in a Department facility. Therefore, unless the visitor has other immediate family members in different facilities, the visitor shall not be allowed to visit other nonimmediate family offenders in other Department facilities.
Background Checks
Criminal background/warrants checks shall be conducted on each adult and child (16 and older) applying to visit an offender. When an active criminal warrant is found, the application shall be reviewed by the facility Investigations and Intelligence officer and/or Correctional Police Officer (CPO). The agency that issued the warrant shall be contacted and disposition made. Local law enforcement shall be notified of the information provided. The information on the applicant’s criminal history is treated as confidential and shall not be released to the offender.