What Happens During the First Two Weeks at William Donaldson: Reception & Classification
The first days after someone arrives at William Donaldson can feel eerily quiet from the outside. That silence is usually the reception and classification process at work—identifying the person, screening for medical and mental health needs, and gathering information for custody and placement decisions.
At William Donaldson Correctional Facility, reception and classification typically wraps up within two weeks of arrival. Until then, families often feel like they're waiting in the dark. The person you care about is moving through required steps before routines like regular communication can settle in.
Those first days aren't just
Note: ADOC system rules in the inmate handbook apply at William Donaldson, and each institution can add its own rules. Those facility-specific rules are typically explained during orientation shortly after arrival.
Step By Step
- ✓ Photograph taken during reception
- ✓ Fingerprints taken during reception
During reception, your loved one receives a complete physical and dental examination. This is one reason the early days can feel slow from the outside - health screening happens during intake, not later once someone is settled.
Reception also includes psychological testing and interviews. The goal is to understand needs and risks early, which helps determine housing placement and what supports might be necessary.
- Expect a processing window - reception and classification at William Donaldson will generally be completed within two weeks after arrival.
- Plan for uneven communication during that time - the early period can be stop-and-start while the facility completes required intake steps.
- Look for things to stabilize after intake - once that two-week window passes, day-to-day routines are more likely to become consistent.
After initial reception activities, the facility moves into classification - using everything gathered to make custody and placement decisions. Since the whole process generally finishes within two weeks, placement decisions are typically being worked on during that same early window.
The details collected during intake matter. Results from the physical and dental exams, along with psychological testing and interviews, all factor into custody and placement decisions. That's why staff ask so many questions early on - and why it takes time before everything is finalized.
Families Actions
- ✓ Write down your loved one’s full legal name and any ID number you already have for them, so you’re ready when you need it
- ✓ Start a short, steady log of dates (arrival date, when you mailed something, when you got a response) to help you track what’s happening
- ✓ Draft a simple first letter focused on support and basics (your mailing address, who to contact in an emergency), so you can send it as soon as you’re able
- ✓ Set expectations at home: the first couple of weeks can be quiet while intake is completed
Orientation is when your loved one learns institution-specific rules on top of the ADOC rules that apply system-wide. It happens shortly after arrival, fitting into the same intake period that generally wraps up within two weeks. If you're waiting to hear more consistently, that's often when things start to feel more predictable.
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