How Far in Advance Do You Need to Schedule a Visit at Kirkland? (In-Person vs. Virtual)

All visits at Kirkland go through the GTL scheduler. One SCDC visitation source says visits must be scheduled at least 15 hours ahead - helpful if you're trying for a last-minute slot. But other SCDC guidance, especially for virtual visits, uses a different advance window.

Virtual visits have a specific booking window according to SCDC's virtual visitation FAQ: schedule at least three days in advance, but no more than seven days out. You can't book a virtual visit for tomorrow - plan several days ahead.

• ✓ You can attempt to modify a virtual visit two days in advance.
• ✓ Virtual visits can be canceled one day in advance.

Here's where it gets confusing: one SCDC source says 15 hours ahead through GTL, while the virtual visitation FAQ says 3–7 days in advance. Those rules can't both apply to the same appointment type. The likely explanation is that they cover different visit types (in-person vs. virtual) or different scheduling contexts. To avoid a wasted trip or missed video session, confirm which rule applies before you lock anything in.

1. Confirm whether you’re booking in-person or virtual - the published lead time for virtual visits is a 3–7 day window, while other SCDC guidance references a shorter “15 hours ahead” timeline.
2. Check what the GTL scheduler will actually allow you to select - if the calendar won’t show times inside a certain window, that’s a strong clue which rule is being enforced for that visit type.
3. Contact the SCDC Visitation office for scheduling-rule questions - email visitation@doc.sc.gov or call the Visitation Inquiry Line at 803-896-1838 (press 1) if you need help with the process.
4. Use the virtual-specific contacts for virtual visit problems - for visitation list or name-change help, email VirtualVisitation@doc.sc.gov or call 803-896-1838 and press #1; for technical trouble during virtual visits, call GTL Visitor Support at 1-855-208-7349.

Can't make your scheduled visit? Cancel as early as possible. SCDC's published guidance requires at least 48 hours notice - otherwise, the missed visit still counts toward the inmate's monthly visit total.

Virtual visits have a different cancellation rule: one day in advance. Since that doesn't match the 48-hour policy, confirm which cancellation timeline applies to your specific appointment type before counting on a last-minute change.

Practical Steps

• ✓ Decide up front: are you booking an in-person visit or a virtual visit?
• ✓ Schedule through the GTL scheduler, and pay attention to the earliest date/time it will let you select.
• ✓ For virtual visits, plan around the published 3–7 day scheduling window.
• ✓ If you’re unsure which lead time applies, email visitation@doc.sc.gov or call 803-896-1838 (press 1).
• ✓ For virtual-visitation list or name-change help, contact VirtualVisitation@doc.sc.gov or call 803-896-1838 and press #1.
• ✓ If the video visit isn’t working technically, call GTL Visitor Support at 1-855-208-7349.
• ✓ If you can’t attend, cancel early - published guidance includes a 48-hour cancellation requirement (to avoid it counting toward the monthly total), and virtual guidance also lists a one-day cancellation option.