What Actually Happens During the Security Check When You Visit Joseph Harp
Visiting Joseph Harp for the first time can feel stressful—mostly because you don't know what to expect at the security check. Here's what the facility's policies actually say, what's routine, and what can get your visit denied before it even starts.
Searches are standard at Joseph Harp Correctional Center. Staff will pat search both inmates and visitors before every visit, and anyone entering the facility perimeter should expect at least that much. It's not personal - this is how the facility keeps contraband out and the visiting area safe.
Expect a pat search when you arrive. At Joseph Harp, all inmates and visitors go through one before visitation, and policy states anyone entering the perimeter will be subject to at least this level of screening. To make it go smoothly: follow staff directions, stay calm, keep your hands to yourself, and be ready to be checked. Think airport security, but a bit more hands-on.
- ✓ Assume any bag you carry in can be searched, including purses and boxes.
- ✓ Bring only what you truly need, since items you carry through the entrance will be subject to inspection.
- ✓ If you can leave extra items at home or secured elsewhere, do it - less to search usually means fewer delays.
Screening doesn't stop at the front door. All vehicles entering the grounds - and their contents - are subject to search. If you drive onto the property, your car may be checked.
Don't refuse a search. If you decline a required search, you won't be allowed in. Refusal can also lead to additional action - including being denied future visits.
You may also encounter a certified drug dog during the security check. This is another tool the facility uses to detect contraband, and it can happen alongside the other screenings.
Do not interact with the dog: Any attempt to interfere with or interact with a certified drug canine during a search is grounds for termination of the visit.
Most visits involve only the routine screening described above. But if staff have reasonable suspicion or probable cause to believe you're trying to bring in contraband, the warden (or designee) can order a more thorough search.
Strip searches are a higher threshold. Policy allows them only when the warden or facility head (or designee) determines there's probable cause to believe you have contraband. If it happens, two trained staff members of the same gender as you will conduct the search.
Practical Tips
- ✓ Expect a pat search as a standard part of entering for visitation.
- ✓ Keep what you carry in to a minimum, since bags, purses, and boxes are subject to search.
- ✓ Treat your vehicle like it could be inspected when you enter the grounds - because it can be.
- ✓ Follow instructions and be ready to consent to required searches; refusal means you won’t be allowed in.
- ✓ Don’t refuse screening “just to be safe” - refusal can also lead to further action and denial of future access.
- ✓ If a certified drug dog is present, don’t touch, talk to, or try to distract it; interfering can end your visit on the spot.
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