§ 540.51 - Procedures.

§ 540.51 Procedures.

(a) Responsibility. The Warden of the institution shall establish and enforce local visiting guidelines in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Bureau of Prisons.

(b) Preparation of the list of visitors.

(1) Staff shall ask each inmate to submit during the admission-orientation process a list of proposed visitors. After appropriate investigation, staff shall compile a visiting list for each inmate and distribute that list to the inmate and the visiting room officer.

(2) Staff may request background information from potential visitors who are not members of the inmate's immediate family, before placing them on the inmate's approved visiting list. When little or no information is available on the inmate's potential visitor, visiting may be denied, pending receipt and review of necessary information, including information which is available on the inmate and/or the inmate's offense, including alleged offenses.

(3) If a background investigation is necessary before approving a visitor, the inmate shall be held responsible for mailing a release authorization form to the proposed visitor. That form must be signed and returned to staff by the proposed visitor prior to any further action regarding visiting. Upon receipt of the authorization form, staff may then forward a questionnaire, along with the release authorization, to the appropriate law enforcement or crime information agency.

(4) Staff shall notify the inmate of each approval or disapproval of a requested person for the visiting list. Upon approval of each visitor, staff shall provide the inmate a copy of the visiting guidelines and with directions for transportation to and from the institution. The inmate is responsible for notifying the visitor of the approval or disapproval to visit and is expected to provide the approved visitors with a copy of the visiting guidelines and directions for transportation to and from the institution. The visiting guidelines shall include specific directions for reaching the institution and shall cite 18 U.S.C. 1791, which provides a penalty of imprisonment for not more than twenty years, a fine, or both for providing or attempting to provide to an inmate anything whatsoever without the knowledge and consent of the Warden.

(5) An inmate's visiting list may be amended at any time in accordance with the procedures of this section.

(c) Verification of special visitor credentials. Staff must verify the qualifications of special visitors. Staff may request background information and official assignment documentation from the potential visitor for this purpose.

(d) Identification of visitors. Staff shall verify the identity of each visitor (through driver's license, photo identification, etc.) prior to admission of the visitor to the institution.

(e) Notification to visitors. Staff shall make available to all visitors written guidelines for visiting the institution. Staff shall have the visitor sign a statement acknowledging that the guidelines were provided and declaring that the visitor does not have any articles in his/her possession which the visitor knows to be a threat to the security of the institution. Staff may deny the visiting privilege to a visitor who refuses to make such a declaration.

(f) Searching visitors. Staff may require a visitor to submit to a personal search, including a search of any items of personal property, as a condition of allowing or continuing a visit.

(g) Record of visitors. The Warden shall maintain a record of visitors to each inmate. The visitor's signature may be required on that record and shall be required on at least one visiting log or record maintained by the institution.

(h) Supervision of visits. Staff shall supervise each inmate visit to prevent the passage of contraband and to ensure the security and good order of the institution. The Warden may establish procedures to enable monitoring of the visiting area, including restrooms located within the visiting area. The Warden must provide notice to both visitors and inmates of the potential for monitoring the visiting area. The Warden may monitor a visitor restroom within the visiting area when there is reasonable suspicion that a visitor and/or an inmate is engaged, or attempting or about to engage, in criminal behavior or other prohibited behavior.

(1) The visiting room officer shall ensure that all visits are conducted in a quiet, orderly, and dignified manner. The visiting room officer may terminate visits that are not conducted in the appropriate manner. See 28 CFR 541.12, item 5, for description of an inmate's responsibility during visits.

(2) Staff shall permit limited physical contact, such as handshaking, embracing, and kissing, between an inmate and a visitor, unless there is clear and convincing evidence that such contact would jeopardize the safety or security of the institution. Where contact visiting is provided, handshaking, embracing, and kissing are ordinarily permitted within the bounds of good taste and only at the beginning and at the end of the visit. The staff may limit physical contact to minimize opportunity for the introduction of contraband and to maintain the orderly operation of the visiting area.

(3) The visiting room officer may not accept articles or gifts of any kind for an inmate, except packages which have had prior approval by the Warden or a designated staff member.

(4) The visiting room officer shall be aware of any articles passed between the inmate and the visitor. If there is any reasonable basis to believe that any item is being passed which constitutes contraband or is otherwise in violation of the law or Bureau regulations, the visiting room officer may examine the item.

[45 FR 44232, June 30, 1980, as amended at 51 FR 26128, July 18, 1986; 58 FR 39095, July 21, 1993; 64 FR 25795, May 12, 1999; 68 FR 10658, Mar. 6, 2003; 69 FR 40317, July 2, 2004]