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Visitation

What to Know About Visiting Someone in the Special Housing Unit (SHU) at Bedford Hills

SHU visits at Bedford Hills have stricter limits than general population visiting. If your loved one is in the Special Housing Unit, you'll need to plan around how often visits are allowed and an earlier arrival cutoff.

• 2 min read • doccs.ny.gov
What to Know About Visiting Someone in the Special Housing Unit (SHU) at Bedford Hills

Here's the rule that matters most: someone in SHU custody at Bedford Hills can only have one non-legal visit per seven-day period. This limit will shape your schedule if you're hoping to visit frequently.

Key rule: If your loved one is in SHU custody at Bedford Hills, they can have one non-legal visit within a seven-day period.

SHU visits run during the same hours as general visiting - 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM. But the arrival cutoff is earlier. You must arrive by 2:45 PM for a SHU visit, compared to 3:00 PM for general visits. Give yourself extra time.

  • ✓ General visiting hours run 8:30 AM–3:30 PM.
  • ✓ General latest arrival time is 3:00 PM.
  • ✓ SHU latest arrival time is 2:45 PM (plan for this earlier cutoff).

The biggest difference between SHU and general visiting? Frequency. General population has no daily visit limit. SHU custody allows just one non-legal visit per seven-day period.

Bedford Hills holds regular visiting on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. People who've been there 30 days or more may get up to two visiting days per week, and Wednesday visiting is open to everyone regardless of last name. These general patterns can help you understand the schedule - but they don't override the SHU limit of one non-legal visit per seven days.

What to Know About Visiting Someone in the Special Housing Unit (SHU) at Bedford Hills
  1. Plan around the SHU limit - SHU custody allows one non-legal visit within a seven-day period, so pick your visit day carefully.
  2. Arrive with the SHU cutoff in mind - SHU visits run 8:30 AM–3:30 PM, but the latest arrival time is 2:45 PM (earlier than the general 3:00 PM cutoff).
  3. Choose the right visiting day - Bedford Hills visiting days are Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday, so make sure you’re aiming for a day that works for the person you’re visiting.

Remember: SHU custody means one non-legal visit per seven days, and you must arrive by 2:45 PM.

  • ✓ Confirm you’re going on a Bedford Hills visiting day: Wednesday, Saturday, or Sunday.
  • ✓ Keep the general visiting window in mind: 8:30 AM–3:30 PM.
  • ✓ If you’re unsure about last-name scheduling for weekend visits, remember that Wednesday visitation is open to all incarcerated individuals regardless of last name.

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