What Contact Visits Really Mean at Tyger River Correctional Facility (No Plexiglass)

Tyger River is one of the medium-security SCDC prisons approved for contact visits. In plain terms: you won't be talking through a booth with a barrier between you and your loved one, like the non-contact setup many families know all too well.

The biggest difference? You're in the same space instead of speaking through glass. But the practical limits matter just as much. Each visit is capped at two hours. For medium-security inmates without visitation restrictions, the baseline is two in-person visits per week - up to eight per month. Plan around that cadence rather than assuming you can come whenever you want. Even with contact visits, the facility controls how long you stay and how many people can be present. Families sometimes get surprised at the door: you can be approved to visit and still be turned away if your group is too large or doesn't include an adult.

• ✓ Two in-person visits per week for eligible medium-security inmates (maximum eight in-person visits per month)
• ✓ Each in-person visit is limited to no longer than two hours
• ✓ Up to four visitors can attend during a visitation period
• ✓ At least one visitor must be an adult

"Contact" doesn't mean unlimited. How many visits your loved one gets depends on whether they have visitation restrictions - and those restrictions change what's available. Medium-security inmates without restrictions can receive two in-person visits per week (up to eight per month). If they're restricted, the schedule you expected may not apply, even though Tyger River allows contact visits overall. On your end, the best way to protect your time is simple: follow staff instructions during the visit. Contact visits are a privilege with rules attached. The facility can end a visit early if those rules aren't followed.

"Contact visit" rules can still have local limits - what physical contact is allowed during check-in, during the visit itself, and when children are present. Confirm the specifics before you make the trip. Start with the SCDC Visitation office. Email visitation@doc.sc.gov or call the Visitation Inquiry Line at 803-896-1838. For application questions, press 1. Once you have the basics, ask Tyger River visitation staff directly about what "contact" looks like on-site - better to know the rules upfront than get caught off guard.

1. Email the SCDC Visitation office - Send questions to visitation@doc.sc.gov.
2. Call the inquiry line - Dial 803-896-1838 and press 1 for application-process questions.
3. Confirm Tyger River’s on-site contact rules - Ask visitation staff what physical contact is permitted and how rules are handled when children are part of the visit.