Understanding Polunsky's visiting schedule: weekly cycles, hours, and visit length
Polunsky's visiting schedule makes sense once you understand three things: weekend hours, the Monday–Sunday visiting cycle, and the two-hour visit window. Here's how it all works—so you can plan ahead and avoid showing up for a visit that won't happen.
Visits happen on weekends - Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Plan your travel around that window.
TDCJ doesn't define "a week" as Saturday to Sunday. Visiting cycles run Monday through the following Sunday, and that's what the system uses to determine whether someone can have another visit.
Eligible inmates typically get one visit per cycle. Even though visits happen on weekends, think of it as one visit per Monday–Sunday stretch.
- ✓ If a visit is already scheduled for that inmate during the current Monday–Sunday cycle, the online scheduler won’t show any other dates in that same week.
- ✓ Coordinate with everyone on the inmate’s Visitors List before anyone schedules or travels. Each inmate is only allowed one visit per weekend, and later visitors can be declined if someone else already visited.
Regular visits last two hours. The clock starts when both you and the inmate are present - not when you arrive at the unit or check in.
Custody level affects visit frequency. Inmates in custody levels G1, J1, and J2 are allowed one contact visit per week.
The TDCJ online scheduler shows different visit types: Regular, Contact, and Video/Tablet. Video/Tablet is its own category - it's not the same as the Securus Video program, which is only available at certain units.
If you're considering a remote visit, pay close attention to what you're booking. Video/Tablet visits in the TDCJ scheduler are separate from the Securus Video program - selecting "video" in one system doesn't cover the other.
- Confirm who is visiting this cycle - Coordinate with the inmate’s Visitors List so only one group plans the weekend visit.
- Use the scheduler as a “cycle check” - If dates don’t appear for a given week, it can be because a visit is already scheduled in that Monday–Sunday cycle.
- Plan around Monday–Sunday, not just the weekend - If your family rotates visits, set the rotation by visiting cycle so you don’t accidentally double-book the same week.
Tip: Visits are two hours, starting when both you and the inmate are present. Arrive early so check-in delays don't eat into your time.
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