Visiting Someone in Elmira's Special Housing Unit (SHU): Rules and Timing
If your loved one is in Elmira's Special Housing Unit (SHU), timing is everything: SHU allows just one non-legal visit every seven days. Here's how the rule works—and how to count your days so you don't waste a trip.
This limit applies to anyone housed in SHU custody at Elmira. The restriction covers non-legal visits only, and visits still happen during Elmira's regular visitation days and hours - there's no separate SHU schedule.
The rule is straightforward: one non-legal visit per seven-day period, during regular visitation hours. Already visited this week? You'll need to wait until the next seven-day window opens.
Key timing detail: Elmira counts the seven days from when your last visit ended - not from the start of the calendar week.
Your countdown starts the moment the previous visit ends. The next non-legal SHU visit has to fall outside that seven-day window.
Before you drive out, confirm the current visiting schedule. Some Elmira materials list "Visiting Days: Weekends," while others show "Visiting Hours: 9:00AM to 3:00PM Daily (Latest arrival time 2:00PM)." The facility also notes "Visitation Schedules: See attached schedule." When you're timing a SHU visit around that seven-day limit, double-checking the posted schedule is essential.
- ✓ Confirm the current visiting hours (listed as 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, with the latest arrival time 2:00 PM)
- ✓ Check Elmira’s posted visitation schedule (noted as “See attached schedule”) for the specific days you can visit
Heads-up: Elmira's materials aren't consistent - one says weekends, another lists daily hours. Always verify the current schedule before making the trip.
Elmira caps each visit at three visitors, plus one child under age five who must sit on an adult's lap. You might notice the facility lists "Maximum Number of Visits per Day" as "Unlimited" - but that doesn't override the SHU rule. If your person is in SHU, the one-visit-per-seven-days limit still applies.
- Check Elmira’s official visitation information - look for the visitation schedule referenced as “See attached schedule.”
- Confirm the hours you’re planning to arrive - visiting hours are listed as 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, with the latest arrival time 2:00 PM.
- Line up your SHU timing - make sure your planned visit is outside the seven-day period that begins at the conclusion of the last visit.
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