Rules for Visiting, Reference Code: 3-04.01

The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department recognizes the importance of inmate visiting. Whenever possible, opportunities to maintain ties with family and community shall be provided. It is the policy of the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department to provide for visitation with family, clergy, legal counsel, and others as safety, security, and operational concerns allow.

Staff shall ensure the visitation process is safe for inmates, staff, and visitors, and does not interfere with the security or operation of the facility.

Each Stanislaus County Adult Detention facility shall provide an area which allows communication between inmates and their visitors, but does not jeopardize the safety and security of the facility. Visits will only take place in designated visitation areas. Staff will monitor the duration of each visit.

Visitation can be revoked at any time for disciplinary reasons or for violating visiting rules. A visitor may only visit one inmate at a time and one inmate per day (excludes official visitors).

Visitation Hours:

Visitation is conducted on scheduled days and hours, as determined by the Facility Commander. A facility may limit or deny visitation during meals or as safety and security needs facilitate.

Visitation times are subject to change. Visitation schedules are posted in each facility lobby, online at www.stanislausca.gtlvisitme.com, or at the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Visitation Center. Visitation is scheduled on a “first come – first serve” basis in conjunction with the visit type (face-to-face non-contact, video visitation, contact visiting). Each visitation segment is limited to thirty (30) minutes in duration (excluding official visits and contact visiting). This regulation applies to paid visits as well.

Visiting Schedule – Sheriff’s Detention Center (PSC EAST & PSC WEST):

Visiting Schedule – MHU1 & MHU2:

Session 1: MHU2A          0700       0800

Session 2: MHU2A          0830       0930

Session 3: MHU2B          1100       1200

Session 4: MHU2B          1230       1330

Session 5: MHU2C          1400       1500

Session 6: MHU2C          1530       1630

Session 1: MHU1A          0700       0800

Session 2: MHU1A          0830       0930

Session 3: MHU1B          1100       1200

Session 4: MHU1B          1230       1330

Session 5: MHU1C          1400       1500

Session 6: MHU1C          1530       1630

Official Visiting Hours: 0800 to 2100 daily

Sheriff’s Detention Visitation Center (Video Visitation) – Operating Hours:

801 11th Street Modesto, CA 95354

Scheduling Visitation:

Visitors are encouraged to schedule their visit appointments online at https://stanislausca.gtlvisitme.com. All visiting (face-to face non-contact, video visits, and contact visits) must be scheduled electronically online. All potential visitors must have an email address to register for visitor approval and to schedule visitation. A scheduling kiosk is also available in the public lobby of the Sheriff’s Detention Center and Sheriff’s Detention Visitation Center to aid visitors in scheduling visitation.

Official Visits:

Official visits may be scheduled up to three (3) days (72-hours) in advance of the visit. Minimally, an official visit can be scheduled twelve (12) hours prior to the actual visit time. Official visitors may make changes to their visit appointment up to twelve (12) hours prior of the scheduled visit.

Public Visiting:

Public visits may be scheduled up to seven (7) days in advance of the visit. Minimally, a public visit can be scheduled twenty four (24) hours prior to the actual visit time. Public visitors may make changes to or cancel their visit appointment up to twenty four (24) hours prior of the scheduled visit.

Visitor Approval:

Prohibited Visitors: if it is determined that an individual has a valid and active restraining order against an inmate, they are prohibited from visiting the inmate named on the restraining order until the order has expired or a judge has rescinded the order. There are no exceptions.

All potential visitors must complete and submit a Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Visitor Request Form electronically and be approved before visiting. Forms may be submitted any time after the inmate has been booked.  

  1. Visit request forms are available at https://stanislausca.gtlvisitme.com.
  2. Visitor Appeal Form – If you are denied visitor approval, you can appeal the decision. The appeal form is available online at http://scsdonline.com. This form must be filled out completely. There is a space for the person denied to clearly explain the circumstances regarding the appeal. This form can be turned in at any Stanislaus Jail Facility and will be forwarded to Administration for review.
  3. The visitor applicant’s name may be run through ICJIS, CLIPS, and the local court computer system to determine eligibility.
  4. Visit request forms are processed by the visitor approval clerk. The clerk will review all requests for visitor approval. Approval may take up to 24 to 48 hours. Special visits can occur prior to visitor approval at the discretion of the shift supervisor or facility commander.
  5. Visitor approval forms are retained for future reference and archival purposes. Forms are stored electronically on the visitation system.

Visitation:

  1. Inmates may have as many approved visitors, as they wish, listed on their visit screen
  2. Due to space constraints, only four (4) visitors per inmate may visit at one time. Minor children do not need to be submitted for approval, but do count towards the total approved visitors count. Minor children must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian during visitation. The accompanying parent or legal guardian must be an approved visitor and present proof of guardianship if requested to do so by the visit deputy or shift supervisor.
  3. Contact Visiting: only three (3) visitors per inmate may visit at one time in a contact visit. Minor children do not need to be submitted for approval, but do count towards the total approved visitors count.
  4. An inmate may refuse to visit. If an inmate refuses a visitor, that person may be removed from the approved visitor list. Inmates must submit an Inmate Request Form to delete visitors from their approved visitor list. Additional visitors may be denied visitation if the inmate has not adjusted their approved visitor list.

All visitors will conform to the following rules:

A visitor who does not conform to these rules will lose all privileges to visit. A visitor who violates visiting rules, regulations, or procedures will be escorted from the facility and denied approval to visit.

Visitation Dress Code:

Visitors must conform to the dress code approved by the Facility Commander. This information is posted in the Inmate Informational Guide, at the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Visitation Center, and in facility lobbies.

Displays by visitors of gang colors, symbols, marks or attire representing gang affiliation are strictly forbidden in visiting areas or when visiting inmates during video visitation sessions.

The visitation dress code will be strictly enforced prior to and throughout the visit. Questions concerning appropriate dress shall be referred to a supervisor to determine whether the visit will be permitted. Dress code violations include, but are not limited to, the following:

Termination or Suspension of a Visit:

A visit may be terminated or suspended at any time by facility staff. The shift supervisor may determine whether or not the visit is counted against the inmate’s allotted visits for the week.

Reasons for terminating or suspending a visit include, but are not limited to the following:

Loss of Privileges:

A visitor found to be visiting any inmate other than the specified inmate they signed-up to visit will be escorted from the facility and denied approval to visit until re-approved by the Facility Commander.

A visitor who is found to be destroying, damaging, or de-facing any facility property will lose visiting privileges. If the damage is determined to be a crime, the visitor may be detained and arrested.

Minors:

Any visitor under the age of eighteen (18) must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian at all times while inside of the facility, unless the visitor is married to the inmate. It is the responsibility of the visitor to provide proof of relationship to the satisfaction of staff.

Valid Identification:

Visitor applicants must present valid government identificationeach time they request to visit an inmate. For identification to be considered valid, it must be issued to the bearer, be current, and contain at a minimum, a picture of the visitor and the visitor’s name, sex, physical description, signature, and date of birth. Any person, who falsely identifies him or herself, to gain admittance into a County detention facility, is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to prosecution.

Personal identification not indicating a current address must be substantiated with other forms of identification or current, postmarked mail with the individual’s name and address on the envelope.

The following are valid types of identification approved for visitation and facility access purposes; no other types of identification are acceptable unless authorized by the Shift Supervisor or Facility Commander:

For visitors entering into a facility to visit (official visits); staff will notify the visitor to remove all items from their pockets and place those items into a locker. Items being brought into the facility are to be scanned through the package scanner and the visitor is to successfully pass through the metal detector.

Visitor Storage of Personal Property:

A visitor shall not be permitted to bring anything into the visitation area. A locker or secured area will be provided for visitors to store personal property at their own risk. Personal property not allowed in the visitation area includes, but is not limited to:

Subject to Search:

Visitors entering a County detention facility are subject to search of their person, vehicle or property. The type and scope of the search is determined by the level of access being granted to the visitor.

All visitors are subject to a search prior to, during, or after a visit with an inmate. All visitors regardless of age must minimally pass through an electronic metal detector or be searched with a hand-held metal detector wand prior to entering the visitation area or the facility.

Refusal to be searched will automatically cause the visit to be canceled and all future visits to be denied.

Contraband:

No items shall be brought into the visitation area. Any items located by staff shall be considered contraband and either destroyed, held until the visit is completed, or placed into evidence.

Video Visitation, Reference Code: 3-04.02

The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office and the video visitation provider are not responsible for the quality of the visitors’ internet and/or Wi-Fi connection. The Sheriff’s Department is also not responsible for the set-up and/or operation of the visitors’ home or work computer, web camera, or any other hardware being used for video visitation.

The public can accomplish video visitation using the following methods:

When an appointment is scheduled the visitor is given an appointment time and kiosk location. The visitor must either report to or conduct the visit appointment from the specified location.

  1. All video visits shall be thirty (30) minutes in length with a 10-minute break before the next visit begins (i.e. 0800 to 0830, 0840 to 0910, etc.).
    • Legal visitors may request a time extension. Staff shall grant or deny the request based on availability.
  2. Visitation will start at the precise scheduled time. No changes or modifications will be made once the visit has been assigned. If the visitor is late for a scheduled visit appointment, the visit will not take place. The cancelled visit will not count against the inmate’s allotted visits for the week.
  3. If the inmate or visitor ends the visit before time has expired, the visiting session is complete. The visit will not be restarted or rescheduled.
  4. If it is determined that there is a malfunction, power loss, or other problem with the scheduling or visitation equipment; the visit can be rescheduled at the discretion of the shift supervisor.
  5. Inmates who have other pending appointments; medical, court, facility work, etc. will not be scheduled for visitation. These visits can be scheduled when the appointment is complete.

Paid Video Visitation:

Paid visitation shall occur within the approved visiting schedule. Paid visitation only applies to video visitation. Inmates may have a total of four (4) paid visitation sessions in any given visitation week once standard visiting is completed.

The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department is not responsible to collect or refund payments associated with paid visitation. All financial transfers shall occur between the visitor and the visitation vendor. It shall be the visitor’s responsibility to settle financial disputes with the visitation vendor.

Technical Support:

The Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department takes no responsibility regarding technical support of the visitation system. The visitation vendor is solely responsible to provide technical support of the visiting system, its operation, and the processes included within the system.