Why Your Visit Request Might Be Denied: Georgia DOC Interview and Visit Restrictions

At Clayton County Correctional Institution, interview or visit requests can be denied at the discretion of senior Georgia Department of Corrections leadership - including the Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner, Regional Director, Warden, or Superintendent. The common thread is safety: if they believe the request would jeopardize the security of the facility, or the well-being of the inmate or staff, they can say no.

Common Reasons Denied

• ✓ Recent disciplinary sanctions - If the inmate has had one or more disciplinary reports that resulted in sanctions within the past 24 months, a request can be denied.
• ✓ Contraband possession (including cell phones) - Disciplinary reports for possessing contraband, including cell phones, that resulted in sanctions can lead to a denial.
• ✓ Violence-related disciplinary reports - If there’s been a disciplinary report for acts of violence against another inmate, a visitor, or a GDC employee that resulted in sanctions, that can be grounds to deny a request.
• ✓ No-contact sentences - If the inmate is under a sentence that prohibits contact with a person (such as a victim or witness), interview or visit requests involving that contact can be denied.
• ✓ Contraband introduction cases - Ongoing investigations, indictments, or sentences for an offense related to introducing contraband (including cell phones) into a prison, jail, or similar facility can also result in a denial.

Contraband issues are a major red flag - they're directly tied to facility security. This can show up two ways: a past disciplinary report for possessing contraband (including cell phones) that resulted in sanctions, or a current investigation, indictment, or sentence connected to bringing contraband into a facility. Either one can be enough to block an interview or visit from getting approved.

1. Ask what the denial is based on - Decisions can be made by senior GDC staff when they believe an interview or visit would jeopardize facility security or the well-being of the inmate or staff.
2. Find out whether it’s a time-limited restriction - Some denials line up with specific triggers, like disciplinary sanctions within the past 24 months.
3. Clarify whether the issue is disciplinary, investigative, or sentence-related - Denials can be tied to things like contraband possession (including cell phones), violence-related disciplinary reports, or being under investigation/indictment/sentence for introducing contraband into a facility.
4. Check for no-contact conditions - If the inmate is under a sentence that prohibits contact with a person (for example, a victim or witness), that can block a request.
5. Ask what changes would make a future request possible - If the denial is connected to disciplinary sanctions, ask what needs to happen on the inmate’s side before another request is likely to be considered.

Before making plans, confirm whether anything would block approval right now. Recent disciplinary sanctions (within the past 24 months) can affect eligibility. An ongoing investigation, indictment, or sentence connected to introducing contraband into a facility can also trigger a denial.

Also ask whether the inmate is under a sentence that prohibits contact with certain people, such as a victim or witness. If a no-contact condition applies to you, the facility may deny the request even if everything else looks fine.