What You Need to Know Before Scheduling Your First Visit at South Carolina DOC
Your first visit is much easier when you know the scheduling rules upfront. Use this as your quick checklist before booking.
No last-minute visits here. Every in-person visit at South Carolina DOC must be scheduled at least 15 hours in advance through the GTL scheduler. If you're coordinating a ride, childcare, or time off work, factor that 15-hour window into your planning - otherwise you might arrange everything only to find you can't actually book the slot.
Appointments run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in two-hour blocks. When picking your time, think in those two-hour chunks. Choose a slot that gives you enough buffer to arrive, check in, and still get the full visit.
Monthly limits are real, so plan accordingly. General population inmates with visitation privileges can receive up to four in-person visits per month. There's also a weekend cap: one visit per weekend maximum. You can't stack multiple visits on the same Saturday and Sunday to catch up.
Plan your group before you schedule. Up to four visitors can attend a single in-person visit, and at least one must be an adult. Since each visit counts toward the monthly total and the one-per-weekend limit, coordinate with everyone who wants to come so you can visit together.
Cancel on time: If you can’t make a scheduled visit, cancel at least 48 hours ahead. If you don’t, that missed visit still counts toward the inmate’s monthly visit total.
Weekend visits (Saturday and Sunday) are only available at institutions not on COVID quarantine. Even when weekends are open, you still need to schedule through the SCDC/GTL scheduler ahead of time. Don't assume you can walk in.
6
- ✓ Inmate’s full name
- ✓ Inmate’s SCDC number (you’ll be asked for it at arrival so the automated system can verify the approved visiting list and generate your visitor pass)
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