Visiting procedure at FPC Bryan

[liddy]

I will be going to Bryan on June 1. I know that my family in the pre-sentencing report can come with no paperwork but what's the procedure for everyone else? I've seen complaints on here about 4 hour waits for visits. Is that normal?

[hkieffer]

Even your family will have to fill out a form and be approved. However, immediately after your arrival - before your list is approved - your family should be able to get in. Waits of various lengths are common - it is a government operation.

[kintml2u]

Those listed on my guys PSI report "Never" had to fill out an visitor application.

For the others, you will have to send them visitor applications out after meeting with your counselor. Once they fill them out, it is important they return them to the name and address stated on the form. They DO NOT mail them back to you.

While we have had many more complaints here lately about the waiting times for visits, I don't think its across the board. I personally never had that long of a wait at FCI Beckley, only a long wait once when I showed up during count time.

[aberuso]

Where on the PSI are people listed?

[hkieffer]

Most Bureau institutions would advise any inmate to send a form sent to anyone they contemplate visiting. That said, each institution is responsible for approving its own inmates' visting lists.

Immediate family members are typically NOT "listed" in a PSI per se, they are mentioned in the family history section. Most times, this information is "verified" by Probation. Therefore, it is accepted as fact by Bureau staff.

[aberuso]

makes sense- wanted to make sure I was missing anything. Is there any information about who is/ isn't acceptable as visitors? ie- family that is felon

[hkieffer]

Again, it is up to each institution (although certain decisions may be reviewable). Proposed vistors with felony convictions will most likely have some difficulty in getting approved at most institutions.

Generally, except for immediate family (use the Bureau's definition), a pre-existing (pre-prison) relationship is required.

[BusyMan]

Liddy, none of my wife's immediate family had to fill out the forms for visitation. Everyone else has had to. It's really pretty simple. It has generally taken only a few days for the background checks to be done and have those people added to your visitation list. Once my wife sends out the forms, those people filled them out and sent them back to her counselor. She's given a new list of approved people when someone has been added (that's how she knows when someone has sent their form back).
Nobody on her list has had a previous record of any kind, so it's all been really painless.

As far as long waits - we've been going to visit her since 3/1 and the longest I've had to wait was only about 20 minutes (only because I showed up right as the 10am head count was wrapping up). My fault, not BOP. There's only about +/- 950 inmates in the whole camp so we've never had a long wait to get in. The COs at the check-in desk have always been really nice and pleasant to me. By the same token, I've seen them get testy with guests who present less-than-polite attitudes. As you may know already, an inmate can have up to 5 adult visitors at a time (as many kids as you want as long as they are attended).