Can You Qualify for an Extended Visit at Boyd Unit? What Distance Gets You
Traveling a long way to visit someone at Boyd Unit? You might qualify for an Extended (sometimes called Special) visit. Eligibility depends on distance, and whether you actually get one depends on what the unit can accommodate that day.
An Extended Visit is exactly what it sounds like: a longer visit that the warden (or their designee) can grant to visitors traveling a significant distance. When you're booking through the Online Visitation Scheduler, you'll see whether Extended or Special Visits are even an option - not every unit offers every visit type. Availability also depends on your relationship to the incarcerated person, the layout of the visitation area, and their current visitation privileges.
The magic number is 250 miles one way. If you're traveling more than 250 miles to reach Boyd Unit, you meet TDCJ's distance threshold for Extended Visit eligibility. Final approval still rests with the warden or designee.
Approved Extended Visits can last up to four hours - longer than a standard visit. But that extra time isn't guaranteed. It only happens if the unit has the time and space to accommodate it on the day you visit.
Meeting the 250-mile requirement doesn't guarantee approval. Extended Visits are discretionary. The warden or designee weighs the unit's schedule, available seating, and overall capacity. If visitation is packed that day, your request might not be approved - even if you drove six hours to get there.
- Check the visit-type list in the Online Visitation Scheduler - visit types are listed there, and not every type is available at every unit.
- Request an Extended or Special Visit if the option appears - when it’s available, the system will offer that choice based on eligibility.
- Call the Boyd Unit before you travel if you don’t see the option (or you’re unsure) - unit visitation information changes, and a quick confirmation can save you a wasted trip.
Note: TDCJ updates unit visitation info daily - and multiple times on visitation days. Call the unit for final confirmation before you hit the road.
Tips
- ✓ Build your day around the possibility of a longer visit - an Extended Visit may be approved for up to four hours if time and space allow.
- ✓ Make sure your home address information is accurate and consistent, since distance eligibility is based on the space between your home address and the facility address.
- ✓ Call the Boyd Unit before traveling - especially the morning of your visit - to confirm visitation hasn’t changed and whether extended visits are being offered.
Reminder: Visit-type availability changes, so check the scheduler and confirm with the unit before traveling. Details can shift even on visitation days.
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