Who Can Visit Someone at Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola): Eligibility & Special Cases
Wondering if you can visit someone at Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola)? Here's the short answer: most people can apply, but approval depends on safety and security concerns.
Louisiana DOC's visitation policy balances two goals: keeping incarcerated people connected to family and community while maintaining institutional safety and order. The Department wants visitation rules to be consistent across facilities, though each prison's physical layout and security needs can shape how things work in practice. That's why you'll find clear eligibility requirements - and a review process for special circumstances.
At Angola, anyone can apply to visit - as long as the incarcerated person requests you. You can't just show up; your application must be approved and on file before your visit. Once the Department makes a decision, the incarcerated person gets notified. They're responsible for letting you know whether you were approved.
A prior criminal conviction doesn't automatically disqualify you from visiting someone at Angola. A conviction alone isn't an automatic "no," so it's still worth applying if the incarcerated person wants you on their list.
Note: Even with a prior conviction, you can still be denied if the nature of the crime reasonably suggests your presence on facility grounds could threaten the security or stability of the institution.
There's also a "recent felony" rule. If you've had three or more felony convictions in the past five years, you may be considered ineligible for someone's visiting list - or removed if you're already on it. This decision is made at the Unit Head's discretion (or designee), with approval from the Chief of Operations.
Being an ex-offender, parolee, or probationer doesn't automatically disqualify you from visiting at Angola. If you're currently supervised, getting an approval letter from your supervising officer (Form OP-C-9-e) creates a presumption of eligibility, which can help your application move forward.
If you're a current Louisiana DOC employee - or a former employee who left within the past 10 years - you may only visit when the incarcerated person is your immediate family member. Expect extra scrutiny and a more formal request process for this category.
- Figure out whether you worked primarily in a prison setting - this determines where your request has to go.
- Submit your request to the Warden (or designee) if you were prison-setting staff - the request goes to the Warden or designee of the applicable facility.
- Submit your request to the Chief of Operations if you were not primarily prison-setting staff - for example, if you worked outside the prison setting (such as headquarters), the request goes to the Chief of Operations.
Next Steps
- ✓ Ask the incarcerated person to request that you be added as a visitor.
- ✓ Don’t plan a trip until your visitation application is approved and on file.
- ✓ Watch for the decision through the incarcerated person - DOC notifies them, and they’re responsible for telling you whether you were approved or denied.
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