How to Get Approved to Visit Someone at Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola)

Angola uses an approved visiting list to balance access with security. The Louisiana Department of Corrections requires each facility to manage visits in a way that fits its security needs and physical layout. What this means for you: you can't just show up. Your name has to be approved before you'll be admitted.

Each person at Angola can have up to ten approved visitors on their list, plus one religious adviser. If you're trying to get added and the list is already full, someone will need to be removed before you can be approved.

Once you’re approved and on the list, you’re allowed to visit twice per month. That’s a per-visitor limit, so if multiple family members are approved, each person’s two visits are counted separately.

There's also a cap on group size. Angola allows up to five visitors at a time, and that total includes children.

The process starts with the imprisoned person. They submit the names they want on their visiting list, and that list becomes the official record of who's allowed in. If you're waiting for approval, your first step is confirming that the person inside has actually added your name - and that there's room under the ten-visitor limit.

After names are submitted, the facility reviews them based on Department visitation regulations and security considerations. This is why approval takes time, and why some requests get denied even when a person seems otherwise eligible.

A criminal history doesn't automatically disqualify you. Louisiana's visitation rules say that being an ex-offender, parolee, or probationer won't block you by itself. If your supervising officer completes an approval letter (Form OP‑C‑9‑e), that creates a presumption you should be eligible. That said, facility leadership can still deny approval in certain felony-history situations at their discretion.

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• ✓ A picture ID (all approved visitors must have one with them to visit)
• ✓ Picture ID for anyone age 15 or older (visitors 15+ must have a picture ID)
• ✓ One of the accepted ID types: a valid state-issued driver’s license or state-issued ID card, a passport, or a military, law enforcement, college/university, or school ID

Once you've been submitted for approval, the decision goes through the Department's review process. If you're unsure where things stand, the best way to confirm is to ask the imprisoned person whether your name appears on their current approved visiting list.

1. Confirm you’re approved - Make sure the imprisoned person has you on their current approved visiting list before you make the trip.
2. Bring your picture ID - You must have a picture ID in your possession to be admitted as an approved visitor.

Once you're approved, plan around Angola's visiting schedule. Visiting days are Saturday and Sunday, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. - but don't aim to arrive at 4. You must get there before 2 p.m., because that's when the last bus leaves for the visiting area.