33-601.721. Visiting Operations

(1) Each institution shall provide a visiting area that facilitates both indoor and outside visiting and is adequately staffed to maintain security and safety.

(2) Wardens shall ensure that games, small toys and other suitable activities are available for small children to assist visitors with keeping their children occupied during visitation. Purchases to replenish toys and items for other activities are authorized from the General Revenue Fund. Wardens may also accept donations of games, small toys and other suitable items from individuals or the community. Visitors shall not be charged for damaged or broken games or toys.

(3) Chaplains shall provide non-denominational religious material in the visiting park suitable for all religions.

(4) Staff shall conduct a comprehensive contraband search of the visiting area and the visitor parking lot before and after visiting.

(5) Inmates shall be required to conduct visits in a separately designated visiting area as determined by the warden or duty warden when visiting in the regular visiting area poses a threat to security, safety, or good order of the institution or any person.

(6) Wardens shall require non-contact visits when a contact visit poses a threat to security or good order of the institution.

(7) Staff shall minimize interaction with the inmate or their visitors unless the inmates or visitors are violating rules or procedures or are being disruptive.

(8) All visiting area staff shall participate in a minimum of four hours of annual training specific to operations of the visiting park and visiting in general.

(9) When the inside visiting park has reached its maximum capacity, the warden is authorized to utilize any of the following remedies to alleviate overcrowding:

(a) Other temporary visiting areas or structures;

(b) Asking earlier arrival visitors to voluntarily leave so that others may enter;

(c) Mandating early departures of visitors when voluntary departures are insufficient.

(10) Weather permitting, the outside visiting park shall be available for use by approved visitors at any time during regular visiting hours.

(11) Neither inmates nor visitors, including death row inmates and their visitors, shall be permitted to possess or use tobacco products as defined in Section 944.115(2)(d), F.S., during visitation.

Rulemaking Authority 944.09 FS. Law Implemented 944.09, 944.23, 944.115, 944.8031 FS. History–New 11-18-01, Formerly 33-601.708, Amended 5-27-02, 9-16-03, 7-17-07, 2-13-12.