Getting on the Visiting List at Louisiana Corr. Inst. (St. Gabriel): What to Expect After You Apply

Anyone can apply to visit an offender at Louisiana Correctional Institute (St. Gabriel) - but only if the offender requests you first. That detail matters. Even if you're eager to visit, the process doesn't start until your loved one asks the facility to add you.

Once you submit your application, the facility reviews it and makes a decision. Here's the catch: they notify the offender, not you. Your loved one is responsible for passing along whether you were approved or denied. If you're stuck waiting without any word, check in with them - they may already have the answer.

Submitting paperwork isn't the same as being cleared to visit. You can't walk in until your approved application is actually on file at the facility. Being told "you should be fine" doesn't count - the visit only happens once that approval is officially recorded.

There's a separate path for offenders who arrive without an established visiting record. In those cases, the offender can request tentative approval for immediate family visits. The Warden (or a designee) decides whether to grant it - it's not guaranteed, but it's a real option for getting family visits started while the full visiting record is being set up.

• ✓ Tentative approval can be granted by the Warden or a designee who is an Assistant Warden (or higher), as specified by facility policy.

If tentative approval is granted for immediate family, the relationship still needs to match the offender's records. Immediate family members must be listed on the offender's master record, and the facility may ask for verification. If they request it, they're confirming the family relationship before visits can proceed.

The key point for your first visit: applying doesn't get you through the door. You need to be approved, and that approval must be on file before you can visit. Since the offender receives the approval or denial notice and is responsible for telling you, your best status update usually comes directly from your loved one.

• ✓ Confirm your approved application is on file before you make the trip.
• ✓ Ask your loved one whether they were notified of approval or denial (they’re responsible for passing that decision along).
• ✓ Verify what you’ll need to check in on the day of your visit (for example, what ID is accepted), since those entry details are handled at the facility level.

Tentative approval decisions are made at the Warden level (or by a designee who's an Assistant Warden or higher). When requests are denied for offenders without an established visiting record, the reason should be a legitimate security concern. If you're trying to plan your first visit, call St. Gabriel directly to confirm their local procedures - what you'll need at the front desk, any on-site steps, and anything else that could affect whether you're allowed in that day.