Why Your Visitor Application Was Delayed or Denied — Orleans Parish Prison

One of the most common reasons an application gets delayed is simple: it wasn’t fully completed. If you leave out requested information, that can slow down processing or lead to a denial of visiting privileges. And even if everything else is fine, you can’t visit until your approved application is actually on file - showing up before that happens can look like “you were denied,” when it’s really that the approval hasn’t been finalized and filed yet.

Another major issue is an active warrant. If screening turns up an active criminal warrant for you, the application doesn’t just move forward like normal - it gets reviewed, and local law enforcement is notified of the information provided. That can stop your approval in its tracks and create a situation where it’s not safe to “just go try anyway.”

Criminal history can also play a role, but it’s not as black-and-white as many people assume. A prior criminal conviction by itself does not automatically disqualify you from visiting. Where people run into trouble is when the nature of the offense is viewed as a security or stability concern for the facility. In those cases, the facility can deem someone ineligible, and the decision must be made with written justification by the Warden or a designee who is an Assistant Warden (or higher).

If an active warrant appears during the screening process, expect the application to be pulled for review rather than processed routinely. Local law enforcement must be notified of the information provided. Practically, that means the “delay” you’re seeing may actually be the facility following a required process, not a clerical hold-up - and it’s a strong reason not to show up in person hoping to talk your way through.

If you have a record, you’re not automatically out. Under Louisiana DOC visitation policy, a prospective visitor’s prior criminal conviction alone does not automatically disqualify them from visiting.

Being an ex-offender, parolee, or probationer doesn’t automatically disqualify you from visiting. If you’re under supervision, an approval letter completed by your supervising officer (Form OP-C-9-e) creates a presumption that you should be eligible for visitation. It’s not a magic pass if there are other concerns, but it can remove a big question mark that often slows applications down.

1. Confirm how you were notified - Once a decision is made to approve or deny, the offender is notified and is responsible for telling you the outcome.
2. Ask for the written justification when denial is based on security concerns - If you’re being told you’re ineligible because your offense is considered a security or stability risk, the Warden or designee (Assistant Warden or higher) must provide written justification for that decision.

If you’re not getting clear answers, start by asking the offender what they were told, since they’re the one who receives the approval/denial decision and is responsible for passing it along. From there, you can ask what options exist to fix the issue - whether that’s correcting missing information and trying again, or requesting reconsideration - based on what the denial was for.

Tips to Prevent Delays

• ✓ Complete every field on the visitor application; missing requested information can delay processing or lead to denial.
• ✓ Don’t plan a visit until your approved application is on file - approval has to be finalized before you can visit.

• ✓ If you’re an ex-offender, probationer, or parolee, include a supervising-officer approval letter (Form OP-C-9-e) to create a presumption of eligibility.

• ✓ Resolve any active warrants before applying; if screening finds an active warrant, the application is reviewed and local law enforcement is notified.