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Pitchess Detention Center - South Facility / Chapter V - Line Procedures / Section 6 - Inmate Visiting

5-06-010 Inmate Visiting Procedures


5-05-010 Inmate Request-Grievance Procedure
5-06-020 Visits For Outside Workers

PURPOSE OF ORDER:

The purpose of this order is to establish visiting procedures and general public inmate visiting hours. This order does not apply to attorneys, parole agents, or special visits. Visiting guidelines for attorneys or special visitors may be found in Pitchess Detention Center (PDC) South Facility Unit Order 5-06-040, “Law Enforcement, Attorney, and Non-Routine Visit Procedures.”

 

SCOPE OF ORDER: 

This order applies to all personnel assigned to, and working at PDC South Facility.

 

ORDER:

Inmate visiting at South Facility shall be conducted every Saturday and Sunday, as well as on the following holidays:

  • New Year's Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Thanksgiving
  • Christmas

Each inmate shall be allowed two (2) 30-minute visits per week. On the above listed holidays, inmates may receive one (1) additional 30-minute visit.

Walk up visiting registration hours will be from 0800-1400 hours. Visitors requesting to visit an inmate at South Facility shall be processed at the Dr. Elmer T. Jaffe Visitor Center (main visiting center). Visiting registration at the main visiting center will close promptly at 1340 hours. Any visitor reporting to the main visiting center after 1340 hours will be denied access to the property and the requested visit. Refer to unit order 5-06-050, “Elmer T. Jaffe Visiting Center Procedures,” for operating procedures at the main visiting center.

VISITOR PROCEDURES AND PROCESSING AT SOUTH FACILITY

Visitors who have been cleared and processed by the main visiting center, shall be dropped off at the South Facility visiting center, and enter the visiting center through Gate 10. The visiting process shall be conducted in the following manner:

  • Visitors shall report to the visiting center office and present their visiting pass (issued to them at the main visiting center) to personnel at the visiting center window.
  • Visting personnel shall ensure the visiting pass has a stamp on the upper left corner indicating the date, number of visitors, and bus number as outlined in South Facility unit order 5-06-050, “Elmer T. Jaffe Visiting Center Procedures.”

Note: If the visiting pass does not contain the stamp, visiting personnel shall notify the main visiting center sergeant and return the visitor(s) to the bus to be transported back to the main visiting center.

  • Visiting personnel shall assign the visitors to a visiting window and indicate the window number on the visiting window assignment sheet.
  • After assigning all visitors to a window, visiting personnel shall give the inmate visiting passes to the visiting center inmate workers, who shall contact the appropriate inmate at their assigned barrack, and direct them to the visiting center for their visit.
  • Inmates receiving visits shall report to the visiting center and check in with the inmate worker and visiting center personnel.
  • When inmates check in and sit at their assigned seats, visiting center personnel shall note the time on the visiting log sheet and begin timing the 30 minute visit.
  • At the end of the designated visiting time, visiting personnel shall announce to visitors that their visiting time has expired.
  • The inmates shall immediately be instructed to leave the visiting center and return to their barracks.
  • Visitors shall exit the visiting center and wait near Gate 10 to board the next available bus returning to the main visiting center.
  • South Facility visiting center personnel shall also be responsible for time stamping the inmates’ visiting passes with three individual times: the visitor’s time of arrival, the time the inmate’s visit began, and the time the visit was completed.   

END OF THE VISITING DAY             

After all visitors have been cleared from the South Facility visiting center and sent back to the main visiting center, visiting personnel shall ensure the following:

  • Visiting personnel shall determine the total number of visitors and inmates for the day. The South Facility desk shall be advised of the count totals and log that information in the facility log.
  • After all visitors have left the visiting center, assigned visiting personnel shall secure Gate 10.         
  • Visiting passes shall be bound and labeled with the date and number of inmates. Passes shall be stored for three (3) years, after which time they may be disposed of.
  • All inmate workers shall be searched and returned to their barracks.
  • Inmate Processing Area (IPA) personnel shall conduct a thorough search of the visiting center to locate any discarded contraband, potential security issues, damaged equipment, and/or possible hazards. After the search has been completed, the PM shift Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) cleanup crew shall clean the visiting center.

SOUTH FACILITY VISITING RULES

  1. Only one adult visitor shall be allowed at the visiting window at a time. All other visitors may be asked to wait outside the visiting center due to space limitations and security issues.
  2. Only three visitors total shall be allowed. Infants carried in a carrier do not count as visitors. All other children shall be counted visitors.
  3. Cutting in line at ANY point of the registration and/or visiting process may result in the cancelation of the requested visit, and/or future visiting privileges being denied.
  4. Juveniles (children 17 years of age and under) shall be accompanied by their parent(s) or a legal guardian. Absent a legal guardian or parent, they shall have a notarized letter from their parent/legal guardian indicating whom they are allowed to visit and they shall be accompanied by an adult in order to visit an inmate.
  5. Visitors under eighteen years of age, and married to an inmate, are considered emancipated and do not have to be with an adult. However, proof of the marriage and proper identification is required.
  6. Visitors shall not go near the fences at either end of the visiting center or look through the tarp into the compound or recreation area.
  7. Children shall be under the constant supervision of an adult at all times. Unsupervised children may result in the termination of the responsible adult’s visit.
  8. Children shall not be allowed to run around or behave in a manner that disrupts other visitors or distracts visiting personnel from their duties.
  9. No smoking is allowed inside or outside the visiting center.
  10. No food or drink is allowed inside the visiting center.               

Any violation of the rules and regulations may result in the termination of the visit and the visitor being placed on the first available bus back to the main gate. Any unsatisfied visitor wishing to speak with a supervisor shall be immediately directed to the supervising line sergeant. Any deviation from the entry guidelines shall be approved by a sergeant or above.

PRE-REGISTERED VISITORS- FACE TO FACE

Civilian visitors have the option to pre-schedule their visits with an inmate by using the www.lasd.org website. This pre-registration, face to face process is only available on weekends and selected visiting holidays. All above rules and orders shall apply to this option, as visitors will still be processed and screened at the main visiting center and transported to the South Facility visiting center.

PRE-REGISTERED VISITORS- (IVVS) VIDEO CONFERENCE

Civilian visitors have the option to pre-schedule a 30 minute video conference style visit by using the www.lasd.org website. There are currently two video conference machines at the main visiting center which are shared by visitors amongst the PDC custody facilities. South Facility currently has one video conference machine installed in the South Facility visiting center and shall be available from 0800-1400 hours, Monday through Friday, and from 0900-1400 hours on weekends and all six (6) of the indicated visiting holidays.

Monday through Friday, the dayshift watch deputy shall have the responsibility to check the Officer Visiting Scheduling System at the beginning of their shift for any scheduled visits for that day. If visits are scheduled, the watch deputy shall coordinate with the respective compound personnel to ensure the inmate(s) are present at the video conference machine fifteen (15) minutes prior to the scheduled time.

During weekends and indicated visiting holidays, the South Facility assigned visiting deputy or custody assistant shall be responsible to check the Officer Visiting Scheduling System at the beginning of their shift for any scheduled visits for that day. If visits are scheduled, visiting personnel shall coordinate with the respective compound staff, to ensure the inmate(s) are present at the video conference machine fifteen (15) minutes prior to the scheduled time.

Compound personnel shall be responsible for escorting the inmate(s) to the visiting center. They shall also be responsible for monitoring the inmate(s) and reporting any deficiencies with the equipment to the watch deputy. Deficiencies shall be documented in the watch deputy log and reported to the Help Desk using the Cherwell portal link: [REDACTED TEXT]

When the visit is scheduled to start and there appears to be no one on the video screen, compound personnel shall allow 30 minutes for that visitor to arrive. Following 30 minutes, the visit shall be terminated and the inmate shall be returned to their assigned barrack. This information shall be reported to the watch deputy and documented in the watch deputy log.

Note:   For reporting procedures when civilian visitors allege they sustained an injury while on PDC property, refer to unit order 04-01-010, “Non-employee Injury Reporting.”

Note:   For special visits (e.g., attorneys, etc.) at South Facility, refer to unit order 05-06-040, “Law Enforcement, Attorney, and Non-Routine Visit Procedures.”

Revision Date 02/18/20

Revision Date 08/24/18

Revision Date 02/16/17

01/30/98 SOUF