Visiting eligibility and how visits are scheduled

In Rhode Island DOC, visits (in person or video) are treated as a privilege, not a right. RIDOC administration can approve, deny, suspend, or revoke that privilege. Once someone is eligible to visit, the specific details (visiting days and hours, visit length, visits allowed per week, and number of visitors at once) are set at the facility level by the Warden.

Your eligibility can depend on your relationship to the inmate and your own criminal history. RIDOC states that if you are not an immediate family member and you have a felony record, a pending charge, a misdemeanor drug-related record, you pled nolo contendere, or you are on probation, you cannot visit unless approved by the ADIO or facility Warden. At the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility, detainees admitted after March 29, 2015 require visitors to go through a pre-approval process. You must be on the detainee's Visitation List for your application to be processed.