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Prison Visits

The Department of Corrections (DOC) recognizes the vital role families play in the reentry process, and will support incarcerated individuals in maintaining ties with family, friends, and the community through personal visits and engagement with community stakeholders and partners. Reasonable efforts will be made to ensure visiting facilities are comfortable, pleasant, and permits informal communication and limited, appropriate physical contact.

General Visit Information

Visitor Application Process

Application Processing Time Update: The Statewide Visit Unit (SVU) is currently working on processing a very high volume of visit applications. Applications are taking approximately 40-45 business days to process (business days do not include weekends or state holidays). Submitting more than one application will cause previous applications to be voided and the process to restart. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

All visitors must complete and submit a visitor application. A separate application must be completed for each proposed visitor (minor or adult). It is recommended that applicants have all required documentation ready and available prior to filling out the online application to ensure successful completion and submission. The Department only accepts Electronic Visit Applications for prison visits at this time.

See Family & Friends and Professionals for information that may be applicable to your visit. All visitation policies and forms can be found on the Resources webpage. See Prison Visits Frequently Asked Questions for more information about visiting a prison facility.

Visitor Guidelines

DOC 450.300 Visits for Incarcerated Individuals (pdf) is applicable to all types of prison visits. Please note visitors whom are 18 years of age and older must present a valid, current photo identification at the time of the visit (i.e., driver's license or state issued identification card, international visitors must present their passport).

The following applies to in-person visitation:

  • Visits occur on a first come, first served basis. If the visit room is full, visitors may be turned away. Facility visit guidelines identify the process utilized by the facility to allow for other visitors to be afforded visit privileges. Please review the appropriate facility visitor guidelines for more information.
  • Facility emergencies may affect operations. These are unforeseen and visiting may be cancelled or end early without advanced notice. Visitors are urged to check the prison facility alerts & notices and to check with the facility prior to traveling.
  • For the safety of yourself and your loved ones, all persons are subject to search per DOC 420.340 Searching and Detaining Facility Visitors (pdf).
  • To protect your loved one and other individuals in the facility, please stay home if you are sick.
  • Visit rooms, tables, chairs, restrooms and high-touch surface areas will be sanitized between visit sessions.

Facility Specific Information

Each facility has its own specific visitor guidelines, visiting hours, and event calendars, which can be accessed in the table below.

Prison Facility Visitor Guidelines, Visiting Hours & Event Calendars

Prison Facility Visitor GuidelinesGuide-
lines
Visiting Hours Event Calendars
Airway Heights Corrections Center AHCC Guidelines (pdf) AHCC Hours AHCC Calendar (pdf)
Cedar Creek Corrections Center CCCC Guidelines (pdf) CCCC Hours CCCC Calendar (pdf)
Clallam Bay Corrections Center CBCC Guidelines (pdf) CBCC Hours CBCC Guidelines (pdf)
Coyote Ridge Corrections Center CRCC Guidelines (pdf) CRCC Hours CRCC Calendar (pdf)
Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women MCCCW Guidelines (pdf) MCCCW Hours MCCCW Calendar (pdf)
Monroe Correctional Complex MCC Guidelines (pdf) MCC Hours MCC Calendar (pdf)
Olympic Corrections Center OCC Guidelines (pdf) OCC Hours OCC Calendar (pdf)
Stafford Creek Corrections Center SCCC Guidelines (pdf) SCCC Hours SCCC Calendar (pdf)
Washington Corrections Center WCC Guidelines (pdf) WCC Hours WCC Calendar (pdf)
Washington Corrections Center for Women WCCW Guidelines (pdf) WCCW Hours WCCW Calendar (pdf)
Washington State Penitentiary WSP Guidelines (pdf) WSP Hours WSP Calendar (pdf)

Restrictive Housing Visiting

Restricted housing will follow DOC 320.255 Restrictive Housing (pdf) policy for scheduling, hours, and will remain non-contact according to Restrictive Housing Level System Grid (Attachment 2) (pdf).

Special Visits

Per DOC 450.300 Visits for Incarcerated Individuals (pdf), the process for specials visits is at the discretion of the facility superintendent. Special visits may be requested utilizing the DOC 21-787 Special Visit Request (pdf) form.

Visitor Behavioral Observations

Per DOC 450.300 (pdf), a record of each visit is entered into the statewide visit system. Visitor behavior observed by Department of Corrections’ staff may be electronically documented. Visitors may request a copy of behavior observation entries from their visitor profile in the statewide visit system via public records request.

Family & Friends

Approved Visitor's List

The visitor application approval process must be completed before an individual is placed on an incarcerated individual's Approved Visitor List.

  • Individuals may only be on one incarcerated individual's Approved Visitor List, with one exception.
  • When an incarcerated individual is transferred to another prison facility, his/her Approved Visitor List will remain and be available in the Statewide Visit System. Incarcerated individuals are responsible for notifying their visitors of transfers.
  • Individuals denied placement on an incarcerated individual's Approved Visitor List will be informed, in writing, of the reason for denial.
  • Incarcerated individuals may remove a visitor from their Approved Visitor List, or request to resume visits with the removed visitor. Visitors must submit a new application if they have been removed.
  • If an individual wishes to be removed from an Approved Visitor List, they must submit their request in writing to the Statewide Visit Unit.
  • A request to be removed from an incarcerated individual’s Approved Visitor’s List must be submitted prior to applying to visit another incarcerated individual. Please note, if you do not request to be removed prior to your new application being processed, you will be required to resubmit your application. This will restart the application processing time.
  • An individual removed from an Approved Visitor List must wait 90 calendar days before applying to visit the same or another incarcerated individual. When the visitor is requesting to visit a different incarcerated individual, the waiting period may be waived if the visitor never visited with the individual whose list they were removed from or if they have not visited in the last 90 days. If the visitor wishes to be added back to the visit list of the same incarcerated individual, the 90 day wait will not be waived.

See DOC 450.300 Visits for Incarcerated IndividualsAdobe PDF File and the Prison Visits Frequently Asked Questions webpage for more information regarding the Approved Visitor's List.

Minor Visitors

Minors are those individuals who are under 18 years of age. The following are required for all minors who will be visiting an incarcerated individual at a Department of Corrections (DOC) prison facility:

  • Minors must be on the incarcerated individual's Approved Visitor List.
  • Minors must be accompanied during the entire visit by their non-incarcerated parent/legal guardian, or a designated escort.
  • A copy of DOC 20-441 Parental/Guardian Consent for Minor Visit And/Or EscortAdobe PDF File form must be completed (to include notarization) and attached to the minor's online visitor application (valid attachments include Adobe PDFs, image files, etc.). The DOC 20-441 is required even if the child's parent submits the minor visitor application.

The following may also apply depending on the nature of the minor's visit:

  • If the minor is an infant or toddler, see the visitor's guidelines of the prison facility you will be visiting for information about what items are authorized.

See DOC 450.300 Visits for Incarcerated IndividualsAdobe PDF File and the Prison Visits Asked Questions webpage for more information regarding minor visits.

International Visitors

International visitors must provide a copy of their passport photo page and a copy of their criminal history from their local jurisdiction, or a certificate of criminal records from the local jurisdiction that outlines all criminal history, or if there is no criminal history (misdemeanor or felony).

Extended Family Visits

Extended Family Visits (CY 2019)

  Total Male Female
Incarcerated Individual Participants 688 642 46
Minor Visitors 200 110 90
Visitors by Prison Population 1,231 1,131 100
Total Visits (EFV) 3,805    
1,231 approved EFV visitors made 3,805 visits to 688 incarcerated individuals in 2019.

Per DOC 590.100 Extended Family VisitingAdobe PDF File, the Extended Family Visit (EFV) Program is for visits in prison facilities between eligible incarcerated individuals and his/her immediate family member(s) in a private housing unit. EFVs are intended to support building sustainable relationships important to incarcerated individual reentry, as well as provide incentive for those serving long-term sentences to engage in positive behavioral choices, therefore reducing violent infractions.

Extended Family Visit (EFV) processing generally takes 8-10 weeks from the time that the department receives all necessary documentation. Please allow a minimum of 12 weeks before inquiring about the status of your EFV application. For more information refer to DOC 590.100 Extended Family Visiting (pdf) and the EFV Resource Guide (pdf).

The requirements for EFV visitors that must be met include:

See Prison Visits Frequently Asked Questions and DOC 590.100 Extended Family Visiting (pdf) for more information.

Professionals

Professional visitors are processed at the prison facility where the incarcerated individual is incarcerated. Professional visitors include:

  • Attorneys
  • Clergy
  • Social Services Agency Representatives
    (except those identified as a visit supervisor for a minor visiting an incarcerated parent)

Professional visitors should contact the prison facility to coordinate their visit. See Prison & Video Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

Media Personnel

If media personnel would like to visit with a specific incarcerated individual, they must complete the same application process as all visitors. If media personnel would like to tour a prison facility, they should contact the Public Information Officer to coordinate a tour.