What Happens If Green Haven's Visiting Room Gets Too Crowded — Termination and Priority Rules
When Green Haven's visiting room gets too crowded, staff follow a specific order for ending visits early. Understanding how that order works helps you plan your day and avoid surprises.
When the visiting room gets overcrowded, Green Haven staff start by asking for volunteers. Before anyone is required to leave, they'll request that visitors voluntarily end their visits to free up space.
If no one volunteers - or if the room stays too full - the next step targets "local" visits. Green Haven considers anyone who lives within 100 miles of the facility a local visitor, and those visits can be ended after three hours. The order matters here: terminations happen first-in, first-out. Visits that started earliest are the first ones that may be ended once they hit the three-hour mark.
If the room still needs space after local visits have been ended, Green Haven moves to long-distance visits - those where family or friends traveled more than 100 miles. The same rules apply: visits can be ended after three hours, and the first-in, first-out order determines who goes first.
Special permission visits: If your visit was granted by special permission, it gets special consideration by the Superintendent or the Officer of the Day before it’s terminated for overcrowding.
No visits in 6 months: If your incarcerated loved one hasn’t received a visit within the past six months, that visit gets special consideration by the Superintendent or the Officer of the Day before termination.
Separate from overcrowding terminations, visit length can also be capped when high visitor volume is expected. Even if the room isn't actively forcing terminations, you may run into shorter visit limits during busy periods.
How to Reduce Risk
- ✓ If you have flexibility, consider visiting on a Wednesday (Green Haven’s visiting days include Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays), since weekends can draw heavier crowds.
- ✓ Pay attention to when you start your visit: during overcrowding, the three-hour cutoff is tied to first-in, first-out, so earlier-starting visits are the first ones that can be ended once they hit three hours.
- ✓ If your visit is based on special permission, ask staff how that status is noted and who reviews it (the Superintendent or Officer of the Day) if the room starts terminating visits.
- ✓ If your loved one hasn’t had a visit in six months, ask how that special consideration is handled before you arrive or as you check in.
If you think you qualify for special consideration - either because your visit was granted by special permission or because your loved one hasn't had a visit in the past six months - mention it to visiting-room staff early. These situations get reviewed by the Superintendent or Officer of the Day before any termination, and it helps when staff know your circumstances upfront.
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