What Happens When Your Loved One Is in the Special Housing Unit (SHU) at Greenville County

When someone is moved to SHU for disciplinary reasons, certain privileges get suspended - including visits. At Greenville County Detention Center, visitation eligibility kicks back in on the seventh day after placement. So if your loved one was just moved to SHU, expect about a week before you can schedule a visit.

Before planning your visit, confirm where your loved one is currently housed. Housing assignments shift, and the Detention Center requires you to call or visit in person for current housing info. A quick phone call can save you a wasted trip.

SHU video visits have narrower windows than most other units: 8:00 AM–10:30 AM and 1:00 PM–2:30 PM. These times can shift based on daily operations, so confirm before you head out.

This trips up a lot of families: some Building Four units have video visiting hours listed as 8:00 AM–5:00 PM, but SHU follows its own shorter schedule. Show up expecting the broader hours and you might miss the SHU window entirely.

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• ✓ Call or visit the Detention Center to confirm where your loved one is housed right now, since housing can change.
• ✓ If the SHU placement is for disciplinary reasons, confirm when they were received in SHU so you can count forward to the seventh day for visitation eligibility.
• ✓ Plan for limited contact options during that initial disciplinary SHU period before eligibility resumes.

1. Confirm SHU status and eligibility - Call or visit the Detention Center to verify housing and whether the seventh-day eligibility point has been reached.
2. Match the schedule to the housing unit - Once you know the unit, use the SHU window if they’re in SHU, since it doesn’t follow the broader Building Four time span.
3. Bring the right ID and plan for standard visit rules - Your photo ID must match the name on the inmate’s visitor list, visits are limited to two 30-minute sessions per week, and video visits may be monitored and recorded.