How to visit, scheduling, dress code, and visitor requirements
Visiting at the TDCJ Polunsky Unit starts online. You'll need to create your own TDCJ visitation scheduler account, register with an email that can receive a 7-digit validation code, and complete the Background Questionnaire (every question must be answered). Once your account is tied to an email, it cannot be deleted and the email address cannot be changed. If you get locked out, use the Forgot Password/Reset Password option. The scheduler lists visit types (Regular, Contact, Video/Tablet) and hides dates when the inmate already has a visit that week. If visitation privileges have been removed, you'll see "Not Approved for Visits." On-site visiting normally runs Saturday and Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Regular visits last two hours once everyone is present, and eligible inmates are generally limited to one visit per Monday-through-Sunday cycle. Contact visits allow brief affection at the start and end, with limited hand contact in staff view. Remote video/tablet visits are scheduled separately through the vendor site and count in addition to on-site visits (typically up to once per month for 60 minutes).
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A long drive is hard enough without getting turned away at the gate. Use this checklist to confirm the person you're visiting is eligible, the unit is actually allowing visits, and you're bringing only what Polunsky allows.
Planning to visit someone at the TDCJ Polunsky Unit? You'll need to start by creating an account in the TDCJ Online Visitation Scheduler. Here's how to set it up correctly the first time, and what to watch out for.
Visiting the Polunsky Unit takes some planning. Approval status and schedules can shift, so use the steps below to confirm your eligibility, get on the schedule, and avoid a wasted trip.
Planning a visit at the TDCJ Polunsky Unit? The biggest thing to understand is how TDCJ defines a "visiting cycle" and how that connects to the one-visit-per-week limit.
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.
Contact visits come with specific rules, and staff watch closely to make sure everyone follows them. Knowing what's expected ahead of time lets you focus on your time together instead of worrying about a violation.
You must create the account yourself on the TDCJ visitation scheduler website. Polunsky staff cannot create visitor accounts. Register with an email that receives a 7-digit validation code, then complete the Background Questionnaire with every question answered. If you forget your password, use the Forgot Password/Reset Password link to get reset steps by email.
Visiting normally occurs Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. A regular visit lasts two hours and starts when the inmate and visitor(s) are present. Visiting cycles run Monday through the following Sunday, and eligible inmates are generally allowed one scheduled visit per cycle.
If the Schedule Visit button is blank or replaced by "Call Unit," the site is telling you to call the inmate's unit to schedule. If visitation privileges have been removed, the scheduler will show "Not Approved for Visits." Relationship Requests stay pending until unit staff verify and either approve or deny them.
Reaching someone at Polunsky Unit usually involves two things: scheduling a visit and setting up phone access. Here are the details that matter most, plus what to confirm before you make plans.
Before you can schedule a visit at the Polunsky Unit, you need your own TDCJ Online Visitation Scheduler account. Here's how to create one, verify it, and troubleshoot the most common issues.
Getting money into someone's trust fund is usually straightforward once you pick the right deposit method and confirm you're eligible to send.
