How to visit, scheduling, dress code, and visitor requirements
Visiting at Powledge Unit takes some planning, but the rules are straightforward once you know them. Inmates follow the TDCJ one-visit-per-weekend rule, so check eligibility before you go. Weekend visiting hours run Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with regular visits lasting two hours starting when both you and the inmate are present. If you're 18 or older, bring an acceptable government-issued photo ID. Leave your cell phone outside the secure perimeter, and plan to bring little to no cash—coins only, up to $35. Contact visits allow limited physical contact, and most non-attorney visits may be electronically monitored. Confirm the person is assigned to Powledge and call ahead. Special visits or accommodations must be arranged in advance, and relationship requests are made through the online visitation scheduler and verified by unit staff.
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Planning a visit? Your first step is getting on the approved Visitors List. Here's how the 10-person limit works, when changes can be made, and what to do if you're not listed—or you've been removed.
Planning a weekend visit is stressful enough without running into a rule you didn't expect. Here's how the
Setting up your TDCJ Online Visitation Scheduler account is straightforward—but a couple details can trip you up, especially your email address and the inmate's ID number. Follow these steps to get registered correctly the first time.
TDCJ calls non-contact visits
Weekend visiting hours are Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. A regular visit lasts two hours and starts when both the inmate and visitors are present.
An inmate may have up to 10 people on their official Visitors List. The list can be changed once every six months for institutional inmates and once every 60 days for state jail, ISF, and SAFP inmates.
You’ll need your own Online Visitation Scheduler account—TDCJ staff can’t create visitor accounts for you. Once an email is used to create an account, it can’t be deleted or changed, and the inmate’s TDCJ/SID number must be 8 digits. When you request to add an inmate, the relationship request goes to the unit for staff verification; the scheduler is limited to users in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico and may show “Not Approved for Visits” if the inmate’s visiting privileges have been removed.
Sending personal mail to someone in TDCJ? The address changed when the system went digital statewide. Here's exactly where to send letters now—and the few exceptions that still go directly to the unit.
- Call the unit to confirm the inmate is assigned there and still has visitation privileges. - Confirm the unit visitation schedule for that day and verify visitation has not been canceled. - Verify you’re an approved visitor (and that you’re on the inmate’s Visitors List, if applicable). - If you arranged a special visit or need accommodations, call to confirm the plan is in place before you leave. - Make sure you have acceptable government-issued photo ID if you’re 18 or older.
