Visitation

Visits are a privilege, not a right and this privilege may be approved, denied, suspended or revoked by RIDOC administration. Any visitor who violates any state law, DOC policy or facility-specific rule/procedure or poses a threat to a facility's security may have his/her visiting privilege suspended or revoked.

Each facility warden determines the facility's visiting schedule including the day and time for visits, the location and length of visits, the number of weekly visits per inmate and the number of visitors an inmate may have at any one visit. Each facility's schedule is different.

In-Person Visits (Temporary COVID-19 Guidelines)

As a result of our health and safety protocols, and the high participation numbers in the vaccine clinics by staff and inmates, our facilities have shown a great reduction in COVID-19 positive cases. Thanks to these efforts and everyone's cooperation, we rank as one of the safest correctional institutions in the country.

Prior to your visit, please read the temporary COVID-19 In-Person Visitation Guidelines document posted below and go to the page of the facility you will be visiting. Each facility has posted their Visitation Schedule and may have certain rules that differ from other facilities depending on the facility's size and layout (i.e., reservation requirements, number of visits, etc.).

For updated video visitation schedules for each facility please visit RIDOC's Facebook page.

If you have a felony criminal record, pending charge, misdemeanor drug-related record, if you pled nolo contendere, or are on probation and you are NOT an IMMEDIATE family member, you cannot visit.

If you don't pass both the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and National Criminal Investigation Center (NCIC) background checks and are NOT an IMMEDIATE family member, you cannot visit without written approval from the Assistant Director of Institutions & Operations (ADIO) or the warden of the facility at which you want to visit.

If you ARE an IMMEDIATE family member with a felony conviction, pending charge, entered a plea of nolo contendere to a felony offense, or are on probation for a felony offense, you MAY be allowed to visit IF you receive approval from the assistant Director of Institutions and Operations (ADIO) or the warden of the facility at which you want to visit.

An inmate's parent, grandparent, brother, sister, spouse (including common law), child and grandchild is an "immediate" family member.  Please visit RIDOC's Visits Policy

Please see policy # 24.03-3 DOC; Visits (or successive policy) for the definition of a "common law" spouse.  Please visit RIDOC's Visits Policy

Yes. Minors who are NOT accompanied by a parent or guardian may visit with written permission from a parent or guardian and must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Please bring a copy of the child's birth certificate with you to the visit. (In situations where the minor child accompanies an adult other than parent or legal guardian, the parent or guardian for the first visit only must present themselves to the reception desk officer and sign paperwork authorizing the non-parent adult to bring the minor for any future visit).

The inmate and adult visitor are responsible for the child's behavior; running and playing loudly is not allowed.

Any distance of more than seventy-five (75) miles from Cranston is considered a "long distance" visit. An inmate may receive four (4) long distance visits in one (1) calendar year.

The Warden/designee determines the time when the visit begins and when it ends based on the facility's security level and daily schedule (feedings, counts, etc.)

Yes. ALL visitors must show proper identification to facility staff before being allowed to enter. Valid forms of identification are as follows:

  • valid driver's license
  • military ID card or
  • ID card issued by the Departments of Transportation, Elderly Affairs or the Division of Motor Vehicles.

Social Security cards and Welfare ID cards are NOT valid forms of identification. A birth certificate is valid identification ONLY for a minor.

Yes. ALL visitors are required to pass through a metal detector before entering any ACI facility. Visitors may be asked to submit to a "pat down", "hand frisk", or hand-held metal detection wand search conducted by a correctional officer of the same sex. Visitors who fail to comply with a request to be searched may be denied a visit.

Yes. Visitors must comply with the Visitor Dress Code, which can be found at the end of the RIDOC Visits Policy.  Please visit RIDOC's Visits Policy

No. Smoking is prohibited in all ACI facilities.

You may bring up to ten ($10) dollars in change in a clear plastic bag which you may use for the vending machines.

Only those inmates in Minimum Security/Work Release may receive food from a visitor; you may NOT give an inmate anything to drink. Food is allowed to be brought to Minimum Security only during outside visits (weather permitting). No drinks are allowed at outside visits unless bought from vending machines. Regulations for types and quantities of food allowed are explained in the Minimum Security Inmate Rulebook.

Otherwise, you are NOT permitted to give anything to or accept anything from an inmate during a visit. Correctional officers cannot accept any item from you to give to an inmate unless you have received written permission from the Warden/designee first.

You may store personal belongings (coats, snow boots, etc.) in lockers provided for that purpose. You may take the locker key into the visiting room.

Nitroglycerin is the only life saving medication visitors will be approved to bring with them to a visiting session. Staff will not be responsible for securing any visitor medication. Visitors should tell the reception officer that they have medication which they need to take to the Visiting Room. The reception officer will call the Visiting Room and advise an officer there that a visitor has medication. The visitor must place the medication in its original container on the front right corner of the Visiting Room Officer's desk. The medication is not allowed in the Visiting Room. If you have an emergency during your visit, the medication will be brought to you immediately. The officer will record in a logbook that the visitor came in with medication and left with the same medication.

Both awaiting trial and sentenced inmates may see visitors.

To visit an inmate on a regular basis, your name must appear on his/her visitors' list. Ask the inmate to put your name on this list. You must pass both the BCI and NCIC background checks to appear on any inmate's visitors' list. Counselors can assist both awaiting trial and sentenced inmates in filling out the form to add a name to his/her visitors' list.

Sentenced inmates are allowed nine (9) names on their visitors' list. These nine people may visit the inmate and deposit money into the inmate's ACI account. An additional two (2) names may be added to a sentenced inmate's visitors' list ONLY for the purpose of depositing money into his/her ACI account. These additional two (2) people may NOT visit.

No. Your name may appear on ONLY one (1) inmate's visitors' list at a time. The only exception to this rule is if more than one of your IMMEDIATE family members is incarcerated at the ACI.

Yes. These inmates are allowed one (1) visit per week.

No. Only the inmate's attorney(s)-of-record and clergy-of-record are allowed to visit.

You may ask the inmate to take your name off his/her list. Or, show proper identification at the facility reception desk and ask the correctional officer to remove your name from the inmate's list. Once your name has been removed from an inmate's visitors' list you must wait thirty (30) days before adding your name to another inmate's visitors' list.

You may request information or make a request for reasonable accommodation by contacting the RIDOC ADA Coordinator in the department's Human Resources Office. Your request may be verbal or in writing.

Yes. In certain situations is may be necessary to temporarily suspend visits at either a particular facility or at all ACI facilities. Whenever visits must be temporarily suspended the department makes every effort to notify the visiting public through the major radio and television stations.

Likewise, the announcement that visits will resume is made through the same major media outlets.

Immediately ask to speak with a superior officer. If your complaint is not addressed at this level, contact the warden of the facility in which you were visiting.