What Happens When Greene's Visiting Room Gets Too Crowded: Voluntary Termination, Distance Rules, and Special Consideration

When Greene's visiting room gets too crowded, staff follow a specific process to free up space. First, they ask for volunteers willing to end their visits early. If that doesn't work, visits are terminated after three hours - local visitors first, then long-distance - on a first-in, first-out basis. Some visits get special consideration before being cut short, including those granted by special permission or when the incarcerated person hasn't had a visitor in six months.

Greene starts with the least disruptive option: asking for volunteers. If space gets tight, staff will simply ask if anyone is willing to wrap up early so others can be accommodated. Volunteering helps keep the room running smoothly and prevents staff from having to end visits under the stricter rules that follow.

If volunteering doesn't clear enough space, Greene moves to mandatory terminations based on travel distance. Local visits - those from visitors within 100 miles - are ended after three hours. The order is first in, first out: visits that started earliest get cut first once they hit the three-hour mark.

Still crowded? Long-distance visits can be terminated too. These are visits from people who traveled over 100 miles. The same rules apply: three-hour limit, first in, first out.

Some visits get extra review before being cut. If your visit was granted by special permission, or if the incarcerated person hasn't had a visitor in six months, the Superintendent or Officer of the Day will give it special consideration before ending it for space reasons. This doesn't guarantee your visit won't be shortened - but it does mean someone reviews your situation first.

• ✓ Check Greene’s facility page for visitation information and updates, and use the DOCCS Visitors Page for additional visitation information.
• ✓ If your visit is by special permission - or your loved one hasn’t received a visit in six months - ask facility staff ahead of time how special consideration is handled before any overcrowding terminations.
• ✓ If you think you qualify for special consideration, bring it up early (before you’re already in the room and the space issue is underway).