What 'One Visit Per Weekend' Means at TDCJ (and How to Coordinate Who Goes)

TDCJ's general rule: eligible inmates get one visit per visiting cycle. Most families experience this as "one visit per weekend" since Saturday and Sunday are the standard visiting days. The bottom line? If someone already visited your loved one during that cycle, a second group showing up later can be turned away. Coordinate ahead of time.

That one visit isn't all-day access. A regular visiting period lasts two hours, and the clock starts when both the inmate and visitor(s) are together. If you arrive early but the visit doesn't begin right away, your two hours starts when you're actually face-to-face - not when you pull into the parking lot.

For weekend visits, TDCJ visiting hours run Saturday and Sunday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Within that window, you’re still working with a standard two-hour visiting period, so planning your arrival time (and having a backup plan if there’s a delay) helps you get the most out of the visit.

Here's what clears up most confusion: the visiting cycle runs Monday through the following Sunday. Since the "one visit" limit applies to the entire cycle - not just the calendar weekend - a visit on Saturday uses up that cycle's slot. Someone hoping to come Sunday would be turned away. Think "Monday-to-Sunday" when planning, and decide who's using that cycle's visit before anyone makes the trip.

Coordination Tips

• ✓ Pick one “visit coordinator” in the family so everyone isn’t making separate plans
• ✓ Rotate visits by cycle (Monday–Sunday), not just by Saturday vs. Sunday
• ✓ Decide in advance who is using this cycle’s visit, and who is up next cycle
• ✓ Confirm everyone going is on the approved visitors list before you set a date
• ✓ If multiple households want to go, agree on one group for this cycle and set a firm plan for the next
• ✓ Keep a shared note with the last visit date and who attended so you don’t accidentally double-book
• ✓ If plans change, update everyone early so nobody drives out expecting to be the “second visit”

1. Write down your “visiting cycle” dates - treat Monday through Sunday as one planning unit.
2. List who wants to visit - include everyone who might try to go that cycle so you can prevent overlap.
3. Choose this cycle’s visitors - decide who will use the single visit for the cycle, and who will go next cycle.
4. Set a clear time plan - pick a target arrival time within the visiting hours and make sure everyone in the group agrees.
5. Send one confirmation message to everyone - include the cycle dates, who is going, and who is not going.
6. Log the visit afterward - note the date and who attended so the next cycle is easy to plan.