Eastham Unit Visiting Hours, Cycles, and Visit Frequency — What 'One Visit Per Week' Means
Planning a visit at the Eastham Unit? The phrase
At TDCJ units like Eastham, standard in-person visiting hours are on weekends. Visits occur on Saturday and Sunday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., so most families plan around those two days.
Note: Visitation schedules can be updated often. Call the unit to confirm the current schedule before you travel, especially if you’re coming from out of town.
TDCJ doesn’t count visits by “calendar week” the way most people mean it. Instead, it uses a visiting cycle that starts on Monday and ends on the following Sunday. That Monday–Sunday window is what staff use when they track how many visits someone has had.
Under the normal rule, eligible inmates are allowed one visit per visiting cycle. In plain terms, that means if your loved one completes a visit on Saturday, that visit counts for the Monday–Sunday cycle it falls in, and another in-person visit typically won’t be allowed until the next cycle begins. It also helps to know what counts as a “regular” visit once you’re there. A regular visiting period is two hours long, and the clock starts when both the inmate and the visitor(s) are present - not when you arrive at the unit or get in line.
Visit frequency can also depend on custody level. For example, inmates classified as G1, J1, or J2 are permitted one contact visit per week. Practically, that lines up with the “one visit per visiting cycle” idea: you’re usually planning for one contact visit within each Monday–Sunday cycle.
When you schedule or talk about visits, you may see different visit types. TDCJ’s visitation scheduler lists Regular, Contact, and Video/Tablet. The Video/Tablet option is not the same as the Securus Video program (which is only offered at limited units). TDCJ also uses remote video visits that happen through a kiosk. Those are scheduled through the vendor’s website, which is a separate path from showing up for a weekend visit.
Note: Remote Video Visits (kiosk-based) are in addition to contact or general visits for eligible inmates. They may occur once per month for up to 60 minutes, so they can help you stay connected even when you can’t make the weekend schedule.
Eastham Confirm Exceptions
- ✓ Call Eastham before you travel to confirm the current visiting schedule
- ✓ Ask whether visitation has been canceled (for example, due to a lockdown) so you don’t make a wasted trip
- ✓ Verify any posted changes, since TDCJ updates visitation information once daily on weekdays and multiple times per day on visitation days
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