Overcrowding and the 100-Mile Rule at Mohawk: How Visits Are Prioritized
When Mohawk's visiting room gets too crowded, staff follow a specific process to free up space. Here's the order: volunteers first, then local visitors (within 100 miles) after three hours, then out-of-area visitors. Understanding this sequence helps you plan for how long your visit might actually last.
When Mohawk needs to clear space in the visiting room, staff follow a set sequence. They start by asking for volunteers. If that doesn't free up enough room, visits from "local" visitors (within 100 miles) can be ended after three hours - first in, first out. Still crowded? Visits from people who traveled over 100 miles can also be ended after three hours, same order. But before any visit gets cut short, certain situations get extra review: visits with special permission, or visits for someone who hasn't had a visitor in six months. Those go to the Superintendent or Officer of the Day first.
When space gets tight, Mohawk's first move is to ask for volunteers. You might hear a general announcement requesting anyone willing to wrap up early so other families can visit. If enough people step forward, the facility won't need to start ending visits based on time and arrival order.
Tip: If staff ask for volunteers, decide quickly. Leaving early is often the simplest way to ease overcrowding - and it prevents the facility from moving to time-based terminations.
If volunteers don't free up enough space, Mohawk moves to the next step. "Local" visits - visitors within 100 miles - can be ended once they hit three hours. The order is first in, first out: visits that started earliest get ended first once the three-hour mark hits.
- ✓ Ask what time your visit is considered to have started so you can track the three-hour mark
- ✓ Confirm whether your visit is being treated as “local” (within 100 miles)
- ✓ Ask where you fall in the first-in, first-out order if terminations become necessary
If overcrowding continues after local visits are addressed, Mohawk can end visits for people who traveled over 100 miles. Same rules apply: visits may be ended after three hours, first in, first out.
Note: Traveling over 100 miles doesn't exempt you from the three-hour rule if crowding persists. Ask staff how they're tracking arrival order and timing for your visit.
Before ending any visit, Mohawk gives special consideration to certain situations. Visits with special permission and visits for incarcerated individuals who haven't had a visitor in six months get reviewed by the Superintendent or Officer of the Day first. This doesn't guarantee your visit won't be cut short - but it does mean those circumstances get weighed before a decision is made.
- Flag whether your visit qualifies - let staff know if the visit has special permission, or if the person you’re visiting hasn’t had a visit in six months.
- Wait for supervisory consideration - the Superintendent or Officer of the Day gives special consideration before any termination decision.
- Follow the final direction given - if a termination is still required after consideration, staff will proceed based on the overcrowding process.
Overcrowding decisions can feel sudden, especially after a long drive or when you've juggled child care and time off. Your best move? Get clarity early. Ask at check-in how the facility is handling crowding that day, how your visit is categorized under the 100-mile threshold, and whether anything about your situation qualifies for review. A few direct questions upfront can save a lot of uncertainty later.
- ✓ Are visits being ended today due to overcrowding, or is there plenty of space right now?
- ✓ Where do we fall in the first-in, first-out order if terminations start?
- ✓ What time is our visit considered to have started for the three-hour rule?
- ✓ Is this visit marked as having special permission, or as a six-month-without-a-visit situation?
- ✓ If we’re close to the 100-mile threshold, how is that being handled for categorizing the visit?
- ✓ Are there other visiting times available we should plan for next time if today is unusually busy?
Reminder: Don't assume how the 100-mile line is calculated. If it matters for your visit, ask staff directly how Mohawk applies that threshold.
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