The 60-Day Wait: Why You Can't Visit Someone Just Received Into Virginia DOC
If your loved one was just received into the Virginia Department of Corrections, there's a built-in waiting period that blocks in-person visits at Reception Centers. Here's what the 60-day rule means and what you can do to stay connected while you wait.
Virginia DOC policy is straightforward: visitors are not permitted to visit an inmate for the first 60 days of the inmate's assignment to a Reception Center. If you show up during that window, you will be turned away. It doesn't matter if you're an immediate family member or if you've visited them before at another facility.
This 60-day restriction is separate from the normal visiting routine once someone moves past Reception and into general population. At that point, in-person visiting hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., and each inmate gets a minimum of one two-hour visit per seven-day period. Those are the baseline expectations for regular visitation, but they don't kick in until the Reception Center waiting period is over.
What this means for you: while your loved one is at a Reception Center as a newly received inmate, in-person visits simply aren't an option for those first 60 days. Planning a trip before that window ends can waste both time and money. Focus instead on other ways to keep contact going until they move forward in the process.
Note: The 60-day wait applies specifically to being newly received at a Reception Center. It doesn't tell you anything about long-term visiting status once that period is over.
During the wait, phone calls are usually the most reliable way to stay connected. Virginia DOC inmates can call numbers on an approved call list that the inmate maintains, limited to a maximum of 15 numbers (landlines or cell phones). Calls go through ConnectNetwork by Global Tel*Link, and they are recorded and monitored. The exception is properly verified attorney calls. If you need private legal communication, make sure it goes through the attorney process, since all standard personal calls are monitored.
- ✓ Set up a prepaid phone plan through ConnectNetwork (AdvancePay) so your loved one can reach you more consistently.
- ✓ Use ConnectNetwork’s toll-free line for help setting up or managing the plan: 1 (800) 483-8314.
You may also hear about video visits as an option. Availability and setup vary by location, so treat video as something to confirm rather than count on automatically during the Reception Center period. Getting phone contact working first usually makes the biggest difference day to day while you're waiting for in-person visits to open up.
- Confirm they are still assigned to a Reception Center. The 60-day no-visit rule applies during the first 60 days of the inmate’s assignment to a Reception Center.
- Check the current visiting framework before you go. General population visiting hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., but those hours do not mean in-person visits are allowed during the Reception Center waiting period.
Before you travel, verify your loved one's current status and location through official Virginia DOC channels or by contacting the facility directly. A quick phone call can save you from making a wasted trip during the 60-day window.
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