Contact Rules During Visits at FDC Philadelphia (What’s Allowed and What Gets Your Visit Ended)
Physical contact at FDC Philadelphia is strictly limited. You can embrace at the start of your visit and again at the end - that's it. Any contact outside those two moments can get your visit terminated.
These limits apply even when children or infants are visiting. The inmate cannot hold a child or baby throughout the visit.
The visiting room rule is simple: one embrace when you arrive, one when you leave. Between those moments, expect to sit and talk without touching. Staff will end the visit if they see contact outside those two windows.
Rule enforcement: “Any contact outside of those parameters will result in termination of the visit.”
If you’re visiting with a child or an infant, the same “embrace only at the beginning and end” rule still applies. In other words, bringing kids doesn’t create extra exceptions for contact during the middle of the visit.
Children and infants: Inmates are not allowed to maintain constant contact with children and infant visitor(s) during the visit.
Staff don't give warnings. If they see contact outside the allowed start-and-end embraces, the visit ends right there. Inappropriate contact means immediate termination.
Plan for it to be immediate: If contact is considered inappropriate, the visit can be terminated on the spot.
5
- ✓ Keep physical contact to an embrace at the beginning and an embrace at the end of the visit
- ✓ Avoid any contact outside those start/end embraces (it can result in termination)
- ✓ If you bring a child or infant, follow the same embrace-only rule
- ✓ Don’t allow constant contact between the inmate and a child/infant during the visit
Want to confirm details before you go? Start by scheduling your visit. FDC Philadelphia requires prescheduled visits by email (except for 3-South). Send a message to PHL-VisitingScheduler-S@bop.gov with the inmate's name, registration number, assigned unit, plus your name, address, phone number, and date of birth.
Read the facility's visiting supplement before you arrive. Know the contact limits ahead of time - especially if you're bringing kids. Understanding the rules upfront helps you avoid a visit being cut short.
Not sure what counts as
If minors are coming: When you ask for clarification, mention that you’ll be visiting with a child or infant so you can confirm how the “no contact outside start/end embraces” and “no constant contact” rules apply.
Find an Inmate at FDC PHILADELPHIA
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
