Re: visitation policy, I’ve read through several older TDCJ handbooks and general employee training manuals or standard of operations PDFs and for the most part I gather not much has changed. In that case, inmates are allowed a certain amount of “approved visitors” in their file. Anyone under the age of 17 does not have to be listed as they are considered minors but they DO have to be accompanied by an adult who is on that approved list. The list can be changed every so often...I can’t recall exactly but I want to say every 3 or 6 months maybe, and sometimes that was up to the “discretion” of the warden. Visitors were required to provide a valid Driver’s License each time they visited. Photo, address, and *could not be expired*. Naturally, there would be certain people who would not be allowed to visit, I.e. victims, victim’s family members, convicted felons who were still on parole/probation, and anyone the Warden chose to deny. Visits last 2 hours, or 4 hours if visitors have travelled further than 300 miles and gotten prior approval from a Warden. (These are things that I’ve seen vary depending on the prison, inmate’s custody status or disciplinary record, and again the Warden’s discretion); regular visits were allowed once a week either Saturday or Sunday and only two adults were allowed to visit. Some units run visitation everyday of the week but the 2 hours/2 adults by in large is universal policy. These units are usually maximum security who do not allow contact visits, so it works out for staff because they aren’t having to utilize 4-6 officers for an entire shift to directly supervise a large room full of inmates and visitors at one time. Attorneys are allowed to visit just about anytime and usually as long as they need. It’s preferred that they schedule ahead of time but there’s not much give and take when it comes to those visits. Now, Death row is a different story and one I’m not completely familiar with. They are NOT allowed contact visits under any circumstance that I’m aware of. I’m sure that the length of visits is the same but I think the process of approving visitors is a little different. Most are going to have media interview requests and things of that nature. I’m not positive about that or the days that visitation is run. When I was there about 8 or so years ago, visitation was everyday, but that (and all of these things) could have changed since then! Then, there are inevitably going to be those officers who would turn a cheek to certain things or bend the rules for certain people, so even though I’m willing to bet WCJD would NOT have been allowed to visit any anymore there (considering age and lack of ID), there’s always that small chance she or whoever she was visiting had “arranged” for her to be let in! That is certainly not a possibility I’d dismiss!
I realize this information is not likely to bring us any closer to finding her identity, but I hope it helps when looking at people she may have been trying to visit or sheds some light on something that could help put the pieces together!
Always,
•MMcG•
I need to learn to read through every comment AND link before I respond. Geez LOL... I feel silly. I got on a tangent of things that were basically all covered in your link! :SMH: I’m learning!
