How many hours can you visit someone at Clara Waters Community Corrections (ODOC rules explained)

Under Oklahoma Department of Corrections (ODOC) policy, people housed in a community correction center may be authorized up to 10 hours of visitation per week. That weekly total is calculated with holidays excluded, which matters if you’re trying to plan longer visits around a holiday weekend.

The "per week" limit ties to the person's visiting privilege level. State-recognized holidays get special treatment: when one falls Monday through Friday, it counts as a "free" visiting day. The hours allowed that day still follow the person's privilege level, but those hours don't count against the weekly total. That means a week with a holiday can give you extra visiting time without cutting into your regular days.

ODOC doesn't apply a one-size-fits-all rule - weekly visiting time depends on the person's security and privilege level. Community correction centers like Clara Waters allow up to 10 hours per week (holidays excluded). Other levels get less: minimum security tops out at 8 hours, medium at 6 hours, and maximum at 4 hours per week. This explains why Clara Waters visits can add up to more time than visits at higher-security facilities.

Under ODOC policy, visiting days include Saturday, Sunday, and all state-recognized holidays. Holidays aren't closed days - they're part of the visiting calendar you can plan around.

When a holiday falls Monday through Friday, ODOC treats it as a "free" visiting day. You can visit for the amount of time allowed by the person's privilege level, and those hours won't count toward the weekly cap. A week with a state holiday can give you more total visiting time than a regular week.

Even with plenty of weekly hours available, ODOC limits how many people can visit at once. No more than five approved visitors may visit an inmate at the same time. The approved visitors list can include up to 20 people - and children under 18 don't count against that 20-person total.

1. Count your group before you go - If more than five approved visitors want to come, you’ll need to split into smaller groups because only five can be in a visit at the same time.
2. Plan to rotate visitors if needed - When more than five people want time, coordinate ahead of time so one group can leave and another group can take a turn.
3. Be ready for capacity cutoffs - If the visitation area reaches maximum capacity, the visitation officer may ask visitors (starting with the first visitors processed) to voluntarily end their visit to free up space.

Holiday time is usually a bonus, but ODOC's wording leaves some wiggle room: holidays "will not normally" count toward the weekly total, meaning exceptions can happen. Also, even if you're within the weekly hours for the person's privilege level, visits can still be cut short if the visiting area hits capacity. When that happens, the visitation officer may ask visitors to leave - starting with whoever checked in first - to make room.