How to visit, scheduling, dress code, and visitor requirements
Visiting at the Baten Unit starts online. You must create your own TDCJ visitation scheduler account—staff can only assist after it exists. Once you submit your email, the scheduler sends a message with a 7-digit validation code and a link to finish registration. Complete every question in the Background Questionnaire, and enter phone numbers as XXX XXX XXXX (spaces, no dashes). The scheduler may show Regular, Contact, and Video/Tablet visit types (separate from the Securus Video program). Some dates or visit types may be hidden if they're unavailable for a particular inmate. Visiting normally runs Saturday–Sunday, 8:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Regular visits are two hours and start when both you and the inmate are present. Most non-attorney visits may be electronically monitored. Contact visits allow only limited physical contact. You may bring a small wallet or clear plastic bag and up to $35 in coins; paper money and most electronics are prohibited.
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Planning a visit to the Baten Unit? The schedule makes sense once you understand three things: weekend visiting hours, two-hour visit lengths, and how TDCJ's Monday–Sunday visiting cycle limits how often regular visits can happen.
A little prep can save you a wasted trip. Use this checklist to confirm the basics, bring the right ID, and avoid common turn-away issues before heading to Baten Unit.
Your first visit to Baten Unit goes smoother when you show up with the right ID and only the small items allowed past the secured perimeter. Use the checklists below to pack once, park once, and avoid getting turned away at the door.
Planning a visit to a TDCJ unit? The most useful thing to understand is how that two-hour window actually works—and what options exist if you're traveling from far away.
Wondering who can visit and when you can swap names? The rules are actually pretty simple once you understand the limits and change schedule.
Before you can request approval to visit someone at the Baten Unit, you'll need your own TDCJ Online Visitation Scheduler account. Here's how to register—plus fixes for the most common submission errors.
Setting up your TDCJ Online Visitation Scheduler account is mostly straightforward. But a few one-time choices and formatting quirks can trip you up. Follow these steps to register cleanly on your first try.
Planning to visit someone at the Baten Unit? You'll need to set up a TDCJ Online Visitation Scheduler account first. The process is straightforward, but a few small details—like phone number formatting and skipped questionnaire questions—can bring everything to a halt.
Can't make it to an in-person visit? Remote video visits might be an option. Here's what that actually means at the Baten Unit—including the limits, how scheduling works, and the difference between kiosk and tablet visits.
Planning a visit to the Baten Unit? The question everyone asks first is simple: what physical contact is actually allowed? Here's how TDCJ contact-visit rules work for hugging, kissing, and hand-holding.
Contact visits can feel nerve-wracking—nobody wants a normal hug to become a problem. Here's what TDCJ actually allows during contact visits and what to expect when it comes to monitoring.
Visiting at Baten Unit follows TDCJ's standard schedule. Here's what you need to know about weekend hours, visit length, frequency, and what to expect once you're in the visiting room.
Visiting the Baten Unit goes smoother when you show up with only what's allowed past the secure perimeter. This checklist helps you pack light, skip the contraband hassles, and breeze through check-in.
Pack light for your visit to Baten Unit. You can bring a small wallet, a clear Ziploc-style bag, or a change purse—that's it. Money must be coins only, $35 max. Leave paper bills in your car or at home; they're not allowed past the secured perimeter.
Create your own TDCJ online visitation scheduler account—staff can’t create it for you. After submitting your email, look for an email with a 7-digit validation code and link, then complete all Background Questionnaire questions (phone numbers must be XXX XXX XXXX, spaces/no dashes). The email used for the account can’t be deleted or changed once the account is created.
Visiting hours are Saturday and Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Regular visits last two hours and start when both you and the inmate are present. The schedule runs on a Monday–Sunday weekly cycle. If you travel more than 250 miles one way, an extended visit of up to four hours may be allowed at the warden's discretion if time and space permit.
During a contact visit, physical contact is limited to one embrace and kiss at the beginning and one at the end; you may hold hands only with hands on top of the table in staff view. Most visits (except attorney–client visits) may be electronically monitored.
TDCJ changed how most incoming personal mail is handled starting September 6, 2023. Instead of going straight to a prison unit, most mail now routes to a central processing center where it's scanned and delivered digitally. A few important categories still need to be mailed directly to the unit.
Adding money to someone's account at Baten Unit goes through TDCJ's Inmate Trust Fund system. You've got several options—but there's a catch: not everyone is allowed to send money.
You can set up your TDCJ Online Visitation Scheduler account yourself—no unit call needed. Just use an email you control and complete the short validation step.
