Understanding the Body Scanner at Bedford Hills — and How to Request a Medical Exemption
Planning a visit to Bedford Hills? The body image scanner is part of the entry process — and it determines what kind of visit you'll have. Here's how screening works, what happens if you decline, and how to request a medical exemption through DOCCS.
DOCCS usa un escáner de imagen corporal para el cribado de visitantes, y en Bedford Hills, pasar por él es obligatorio para las visitas con contacto completo. El escaneo no es opcional si desea la visita de contacto estándar. Si tiene una condición médica que hace que el escáner sea un problema, planifique con antelación: deberá solicitar una exención (más abajo se explica) en lugar de intentar resolverlo al llegar.
Rechace el escaneo y se le tramitará según la Directiva #4403, lo que significa solo una visita sin contacto. Aún puede someterse a controles alternativos: un detector de metales, una varita manual, o ambos. La compensación es clara: saltarse el escáner no termina su visita, pero la convierte en sin contacto.
- Get the official DOCCS exemption form - DOCCS requires that medical exemption requests be submitted on the official form.
- Fill out the form completely - Include the visitor’s full name, address, date of birth, the name and DIN of each incarcerated individual you plan to visit, and your complete visitor number assigned by the Visitor Processing System (VPS).
- Gather your medical documentation - Include paperwork that supports why you need an exemption.
- Mail the packet to Central Office Health Services for review - DOCCS reviews and approves (or denies) exemption requests through Central Office Health Services, so send the completed form and documentation there.
Mailing address: DOCCS Central Office Health Services, Harriman State Campus, 1220 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12226-2050 (Attention: Body Scanner Exemption Request).
Effective 7/22/2025, DOCCS requires medical exemption requests to be submitted on the official form to Central Office Health Services for advance review and approval. If you think you'll need an exemption, start the paperwork before your trip - otherwise you'll be stuck choosing between the scan or a non-contact visit at the door. One more thing: Bedford Hills lists visiting days as Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays (effective 01/01/2026), but schedules can shift. Confirm the current visiting schedule with the facility before you go.
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