The Real Rules for Physical Contact During Visits at Hilltop Unit
Contact visits at Hilltop Unit come with specific rules about physical contact. Knowing them ahead of time helps you avoid getting corrected during the visit or having it cut short.
"Contact" is its own visit type in the TDCJ online scheduler, separate from Regular visits and Video/Tablet visits. Whether it shows up as an option depends on factors outside your control: your relationship to the inmate, the unit's visitation area setup, and the inmate's current privileges. If you don't see Contact as a choice when scheduling, it's not available for that visitor-inmate combination at that time.
You're allowed one embrace and kiss at the beginning of the visit, and one at the end. That's it. Plan for a quick greeting and goodbye rather than repeated hugs throughout.
Holding hands is allowed, but only if your hands stay on top of the table and fully visible to staff. If hands drop below the tabletop, even briefly, staff can treat it as a rules violation. Visibility is how they prevent contraband and keep the visiting area safe. The simplest approach: keep both of your hands in plain view the entire time.
A regular (non-extended) visiting period lasts two hours. The clock starts when both the inmate and visitor(s) are present, not when you arrive at the unit or check in. If processing runs long on either side, it eats into your actual visit time. Arrive early and be ready to move through entry procedures quickly.
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