Contact Visits

Contact visits generally permit an inmate to visit with a friend or relative for a limited amount of time in the same room, rather than to communicate through a glass window. Most correctional facilities set strict visiting hours and policies and require that visitors be approved prior to their arrival, to give the institution reasonable time to conduct a background check of the visitor. Contact during these visits is usually closely monitored, allowing only minimal, if any, physical contact, such as handholding or a brief hug.

Contact visits are considered a privilege and can be revoked for any number of reasons. In higher-security institutions, or in the case of death row inmates, those in disciplinary detention, or those who are being kept in protective custody, contact visits are usually not allowed since it is thought that security concerns outweigh the benefits provided by allowing contact visits. Some states such as Michigan also severely restrict visits for inmates of any security level.