Before Your First Visit to FCI Gilmer: A Practical Pre-Departure Checklist
A first visit can go smoothly if you confirm a few things before leaving home. This checklist helps you avoid a wasted trip to FCI Gilmer and arrive with everything staff expect at the door.
Before hitting the road, call FCI Gilmer to confirm the visiting schedule for the day you plan to go: 603-342-4000. A quick call can save you a long drive if the schedule has changed or restrictions affect your visit.
Note: Visiting schedules can have exceptions, including modified hours for someone housed in the Special Housing Unit (SHU). The Warden can also restrict or cancel visiting for safety and security reasons, such as severe weather or incidents that disrupt normal operations.
Ask directly whether your loved one is currently housed in a Special Housing Unit (SHU). Inmates confined to SHU at FCI Gilmer usually have a modified visiting schedule, so the usual hours may not apply. Not sure about their housing status? Confirm it when you call so you know what to expect before you arrive.
Reminder: The Warden may restrict or cancel visiting for safety and security reasons. Severe weather or other incidents that affect operations can change what visiting looks like on a given day.
ID and Checks
- ✓ Bring a legal, government-issued ID every time you visit. You need it to gain access to the institution.
- ✓ Make sure the information on your ID matches what was used for your visitor approval (for example: your name, date of birth, and your driver’s license or state ID number).
- ✓ Be prepared for staff to verify approved visitor details that may be on file, including relationship to the inmate, legal residence, phone number, and (if applicable) passport number or alien registration number.
Visitor approval includes a background check for people recorded in the BOP's visiting systems (ACES/Web Visiting). At minimum, an NCIC check validates the information you provided. If something doesn't line up when you arrive, staff compare what you present to what's in the system and may correct discrepancies if appropriate.
Before you travel, review the visiting regulations and check any applicable state and local travel advisories. Doing both helps you plan for rule requirements and reduces the chance that weather or travel conditions derail your visit at the last minute.
For visit-specific questions (today's schedule, restrictions, or anything operational), contact FCI Gilmer directly at 603-342-4000. For general Bureau of Prisons information or questions about the BOP website, contact the BOP Central Office at (202) 307-3198 or write to: Federal Bureau of Prisons, 320 First St., NW, Washington, DC 20534.
Find an Inmate at FCI Gilmer
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
