How Physical Contact Works During Visits at Moore Unit (What’s Allowed and What Isn’t)

During a contact visit at the Moore Unit, you can have brief physical contact. Embracing and kissing are allowed once at the beginning of the visit and once at the end. Holding hands is permitted throughout the visit, but your hands must stay on top of the table where staff can see them. If your hands drop below the table or move out of view, staff will treat that as a rule violation.

• ✓ Hugging and kissing: allowed once at the start of the visit, and once at the end
• ✓ Holding hands: allowed only if hands stay on top of the table, in full view of staff

Assume your visit has limited privacy. All inmate visits are subject to electronic monitoring, except attorney-client visits. What you say and do during a regular visit may be observed or recorded.

Visitation at the Moore Unit is a privilege, and staff can restrict or end it when rules are broken or safety becomes a concern. This includes physical-contact rules. Go beyond the allowed hug or kiss at the start and end, or let your hands slip out of view during the visit, and staff can step in quickly. Even if you're following the contact limits, the unit can still pause or cancel visitation when something bigger is happening on the facility side. It's frustrating, but that's how TDCJ maintains order and responds to incidents.

• ✓ Rule violations by an inmate or a visitor
• ✓ Security concerns
• ✓ Unit lockdowns
• ✓ Serious incidents, including escapes or disturbances
• ✓ Health or safety emergencies

If a visit is discontinued, it can happen immediately. Staff may end the visit for the day, and visitation can also be temporarily restricted for an inmate or visitor when rule violations or security concerns arise. If this happens to you, stay calm and follow staff instructions. Focus on leaving without escalating the situation. Arguments at the end of a visit rarely help and can make resolving the problem harder later.

1. Follow staff directions right away: Visitation is a privilege, and it can be restricted or discontinued when security concerns exist.
2. Keep physical contact within the allowed limits: Embracing and kissing are permitted once at the beginning and once at the end of the visit.
3. Hold hands the “visible” way: If you hold hands, keep them on top of the table in full view of staff.
4. Be ready for visits to change suddenly: Lockdowns, disturbances, escapes, and health or safety emergencies can temporarily discontinue visitation even if you did everything right.

If you have questions about a visitation decision or think there's been a misunderstanding, ask about the unit's Family Liaison Officer (FLO). Each unit has a designated FLO (usually the duty warden) who helps family members and visitors resolve problems affecting their ability to visit.