Can I Visit if I Have a Criminal Record? Louisiana visitation rules for families (what to expect at Ouachita Parish Jail)

A prior conviction won't automatically disqualify you. Louisiana's visitation policy assumes people with records can still be approved - denial is supposed to be tied to safety and security, not just the fact that you have a past. If the warden (or a designee) decides your presence would threaten facility security or stability, they can deem you ineligible. But that decision must come with written justification.

Two things trip people up early. First, you can only apply to visit if the person in custody has requested the visit - their request is the starting point. Second, being on parole or probation doesn't automatically bar you. Getting an approval letter from your supervising officer (Form OP-C-9-e) matters because it creates a presumption that you should be eligible.

At Ouachita Parish Jail, your loved one's request opens the door for you to apply. Louisiana policy states that "any person" may apply to visit only upon the offender's request - so showing up or trying to start the process without that request in place leads to a dead end. Planning a first visit? Coordinate with the person in custody so they submit the request and any required visitor information the facility needs.

• ✓ Ask your loved one to request the visit (your application depends on their request).
• ✓ Confirm they included you correctly when they made the request.
• ✓ Be ready to provide whatever identifying information the facility requires as part of the application tied to that request.
• ✓ If you’re on parole or probation, plan ahead so your supervising-officer approval letter can be provided along with your visit request.

Louisiana's rule is straightforward: a prospective visitor's prior criminal conviction alone "shall not disqualify" them from visiting. This matters for families because the baseline isn't "no" just because you have a record. If your conviction has nothing to do with bringing risk onto facility grounds, the policy doesn't treat your past as an automatic stop sign - you can still be eligible.

A conviction can still lead to denial when the nature of the crime "reasonably suggests" your presence may impair or threaten facility security or stability. This isn't a vague, automatic rule. It's a discretionary call that must connect your history to a real safety concern - and the policy requires the warden or designee to make that determination with written justification.

1. Ask early if your record could be an issue - since a conviction isn’t an automatic disqualifier, it helps to clarify whether the facility sees a security concern.
2. If you’re denied, request the written justification - the warden or designee is required to document the decision in writing.
3. Ask what the next step is - once you have the written reason, you can ask whether there’s a process to appeal, correct information, or reapply later.

If you’re currently on parole or probation - or you’re an ex-offender - Louisiana policy says that status alone doesn’t disqualify you from visiting. What helps most is an approval letter completed by your supervising officer (Form OP-C-9-e). That letter creates a presumption that you should be eligible for visitation, which can make the review much more straightforward.

• ✓ Get an approval letter from your supervising officer (Form OP-C-9-e).
• ✓ Make sure the person in custody has requested the visit (you can only apply upon their request).
• ✓ Provide the supervising-officer letter as part of the visitation application process tied to that request.