What to Expect During Your First Visit to Western Correctional Institution: Physical Contact, Time, and Dress

You can only visit if the person you're seeing has added you to their approved visiting list and you've been cleared by the Bureau of Prisons. Show up without that clearance? You'll likely be turned away - even if you drove hours to get there. Confirm your status before making the trip.

Physical contact is brief and happens at specific moments. You can usually share a handshake, hug, or a kiss in good taste at the start and end of your visit. In between, you'll sit across from each other without ongoing physical contact.

By law, inmates are entitled to at least four hours of visiting time per month. That's the baseline - helpful to know if you're juggling work, childcare, or long-distance travel.

Many facilities offer more than the minimum, with visits commonly scheduled on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays - sometimes weekdays too. But the exact days and times vary. Some places limit inmates to either Saturday or Sunday visits, not both. Before you go, check Western Correctional Institution's current schedule and confirm what applies to the person you're visiting.

What you wear matters. Provocative or revealing clothing can get you turned away at the door. Dress more conservatively than you would for a normal outing - it's not worth risking your visit over an outfit.

• ✓ Skip see-through fabrics or anything that becomes sheer in bright light
• ✓ Avoid low-cut tops, exposed cleavage, and very short skirts or shorts
• ✓ Don’t wear crop tops, backless tops, or halter-style tops
• ✓ Pass on tight spandex/leotard-style outfits or anything that reads as lingerie
• ✓ Choose sleeves and hemlines that stay in place when you sit, bend, or reach

Pre-visit-checklist-and-turned-away-steps

• ✓ Confirm you’re on the inmate’s approved visiting list and cleared by the Bureau of Prisons
• ✓ Leave prohibited items behind (including cameras, recording equipment, telephones, radios, pagers, other electronic devices, weapons, explosives, drugs, intoxicants, and currency)
• ✓ If you need to bring medication, be ready to list all medications on the visitor notification form and leave them at the entry area
• ✓ Double-check your clothing choice so it won’t be considered provocative or revealing

1. Pinpoint the reason right away - Most turn-aways come down to approval/clearance status or something you brought or wore.
2. Confirm your visiting approval status - Check with the inmate to make sure you’re on the approved visiting list and that your BOP clearance is complete.
3. Re-check what you carried in and what you wore - Remove prohibited objects and adjust clothing that could be seen as provocative or revealing before trying again.
4. Review the schedule and your time expectations - Remember the legal baseline is at least four hours of visiting time per month, but the actual visiting days and hours depend on the facility and can vary by inmate.