Bringing Children to Visit at Lea County: Rules, ID, and What to Expect

At Lea County, minors can only enter if they have proper identification and are accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or adult relative. One narrow exception exists: if the minor is legally married to the incarcerated person and has documented proof, they can present that documentation for entry.

When you arrive at Lea County, staff are required to provide written information covering visiting rules. This includes special rules for infants and children, plus the facility's approved ID requirements. For families, this written handout is where you'll find the exact expectations for child visitors, including what forms of ID the facility accepts.

During a contact visit, limited physical contact is allowed. Inmates can have a brief hug and/or kiss at the beginning of the visit and again at the end.

One of the biggest questions for parents: can the incarcerated person hold the child? During contact visits, inmates may hold their own children. This applies only to their own kids and falls under the facility's rules for limited physical contact.

Rules for infants and children aren't informal suggestions. They're part of the official written visiting information the facility provides. To avoid problems at check-in or in the visiting room, treat those child-specific rules as the standard you'll be held to. Plan your visit around them.

• ✓ Keep kids with you and under your supervision the whole time.
• ✓ Bring quiet, low-mess activities that can be put away quickly.
• ✓ Be ready to follow any infant and child rules you are given in writing, including limits on what children can bring into the visiting area.
• ✓ If a child is having a hard time, step out and regroup rather than letting the situation escalate in the visiting room.

Paperwork is where most first-time visits get derailed. Minors must be properly identified and accompanied by an appropriate adult. The facility's written visiting information spells out what ID is approved, along with special rules for infants and children. If there's any chance staff may need to confirm your relationship or authority to bring the child, bring whatever documentation applies to your situation so you can show it right away.

1. Ask for the child-specific rules before you travel: Lea County is required to have special rules for infants and children, and approved identification requirements for visitors.
2. Confirm what “properly identified” means for your child: Make sure you understand which forms of identification the facility will accept for a minor.
3. Check whether your situation needs documentation: If the minor is relying on the marriage exception, you will need documented proof of legal marriage to the inmate.

Have a child-related question you want to confirm before showing up? Contact Lea County Correctional Facility's inmate advocate, Moriama Valeriano, at (575) 392-4055.