What Happens If the Visiting Room Gets Too Crowded at Wende?

1. Staff ask for volunteers to end their visit - If space is tight and visits need to be cut short, the first step is simply asking whether anyone is willing to wrap up early.
2. If there are no volunteers, local visits can be ended after three hours (first in, first out) - When overcrowding continues, Wende may terminate visits from people considered “local” (within 100 miles) once they’ve had three hours, starting with the visits that began earliest.
3. If space is still needed, over-100-mile visits can be ended after three hours (first in, first out) - If the room is still too crowded after local visits are addressed, Wende may then terminate visits for families or friends who traveled more than 100 miles, again only after three hours and in the order those visits started.

Wende divides visitors into two distance categories: "local" (within 100 miles) and those who traveled over 100 miles. This distinction matters because it determines who gets cut first if space runs short. Local visits are ended first. If the room is still too crowded after that, visits from people who traveled over 100 miles may be ended next.

Overcrowding terminations at Wende kick in once a visit hits three hours. If the room needs space and not enough people are leaving voluntarily, staff start ending visits that have reached that mark. Within each distance group, it's first in, first out. The visits that started earliest get considered for termination first once they've crossed three hours.

Before ending visits for overcrowding, the Superintendent or Officer of the Day may give priority to visits with special permission and to incarcerated individuals who haven't had a visitor in six months. These visits may be protected before staff decide which ones to cut.

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• ✓ Be ready to decide quickly if staff ask for volunteers to end their visit.
• ✓ If you’ve already been visiting for around three hours and the room is full, expect that your visit may be at higher risk of being ended - especially if you’re considered “local.”
• ✓ Plan your time with the three-hour mark in mind when you can, since terminations for overcrowding are tied to visits that have reached three hours.
• ✓ If your visit is selected to end due to crowding, be prepared to wrap up promptly.
• ✓ Keep in mind that some visits may receive special consideration (for example, visits with special permission or when the incarcerated person hasn’t had a visit in six months).