What 'Non-Contact Visit' Means at Bledsoe and When It’s Used

At Bledsoe, non-contact visits are typically used when the facility needs tighter control for safety or custody reasons. Common situations include inmates in segregation, those awaiting a disciplinary hearing, or people in protective custody. The visit still happens - you just can't have physical contact while the inmate's status is restricted. Non-contact visits aren't always about discipline, though. TDOC policy allows them at a visitor's request, and they're also used for media interviews. So if you're told your visit must be non-contact, don't assume someone is in trouble. It could be tied to housing, a pending process, or simply an approved request.

TDOC requires structure around how non-contact visiting works. At facilities with a minimum restricted custody component (or higher), the Warden must develop a local policy governing non-contact visits. That local policy contains the specifics - who uses non-contact areas and under what circumstances. The policy also covers the practical questions families usually have: which inmate populations use each non-contact area, where those areas are located, how long restrictions last, and what review process exists to restore regular visitation privileges. If you're trying to understand why this is happening or how long it will last, those are exactly the topics the local policy should address.

A non-contact visit means you and the inmate are in separate spaces where you can't physically touch, but you can still see and hear each other. You'll be able to talk - just not in the same open room. In practice, this usually happens in a non-contact visitation booth. The setup allows conversation while preventing any physical contact. If you've never done one before, it might feel strange at first, but the concept is straightforward: you can talk, you just can't touch.

Non-contact visits have a two-hour time limit under TDOC policy. If you're driving a long distance, plan your day around that cap so you're not surprised. Expect close supervision throughout. Staff consistently monitor non-contact visits, which is part of why they're used in higher-control situations.

The rules are strictly enforced. Physical contact isn't allowed for any reason during a non-contact visit. Any attempt to make contact can end the visit immediately and trigger disciplinary action. These visits also aren't informal or automatic. TDOC policy requires the Warden (or a designee) to approve all non-contact visits. If you're getting mixed signals about whether your visit will be contact or non-contact, that approval step is often why confirmation takes time.

1. Ask for the written notice - TDOC policy says the inmate must be notified in writing about the circumstances requiring non-contact visitation, and a copy must be provided to the visitation supervisor for the inmate’s visitation file.
2. Confirm you’ll be told before check-in - Visitors are supposed to be notified of the non-contact requirement before being processed, so you can decide whether to proceed under those conditions.
3. Request a review through the inmate’s normal channels - If you believe the restriction is incorrect or should be reconsidered, have your loved one ask their classification/unit team what the local review process is for reinstating routine visitation privileges.

• ✓ Whether Bledsoe’s warden-developed local policy is the rule being applied to this visit
• ✓ Which non-contact visitation area applies to the inmate’s current population segment
• ✓ How long the non-contact visitation restriction is expected to last
• ✓ What the review process is to reinstate routine (contact) visitation privileges