What Happens When Elmira's Visiting Room Gets Crowded

When Elmira's visiting room gets crowded, staff start by asking for volunteers. They'll request that anyone willing to end their visit early do so to make room for others waiting.

If no one volunteers - or the room still needs space - Elmira moves to mandatory cutoffs for local visitors. Anyone who lives within 100 miles can have their visit ended after three hours. It's first-in, first-out: the visitors who've been there longest are asked to leave first once they hit the three-hour mark.

Still crowded? Elmira applies the same rule to long-distance visitors. If family or friends traveled more than 100 miles, their visit can also be ended after three hours, following the same first-in, first-out order.

Elmira does make exceptions. Visits granted by special permission - or visits for someone who hasn't had a visitor in six months - get extra consideration. The Superintendent or Officer of the Day reviews these before ending them for overcrowding.

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• ✓ If the room is full, expect staff to ask for volunteers to end their visit first.
• ✓ Plan around a three-hour window, since visits may be ended once you’ve been visiting for three hours if space is needed.
• ✓ Keep “first-in, first-out” in mind: the longer you’ve been in the visiting room, the more likely you are to be next if terminations start.

For general visitation guidance beyond the overcrowding procedure, Elmira directs families to the DOCCS Visitors Page.