Visiting in Alaska (AK DOC) | Prison Visitor Guide

Key info

Most visitors must be on the prisoner’s approved visitor list. A person can normally be on only one prisoner’s list (an exception applies to immediate family, or with the superintendent’s approval).

The first 24 hours are different. During the first 24 hours after a person is booked on new charges, family and friends may visit at any time, day or night, without being on a list — a valid government photo ID is required.

Scheduling is per facility — there is no statewide online scheduler. Visiting days and hours are posted on each facility’s page; many facilities take appointments. Check the facility’s page or call it directly.

Visits are typically about one hour, and visitors and their belongings are searched on entry.

Whether a visit is contact or non-contact depends on the facility and custody level.

Alaska runs a unified system in which the Department of Corrections operates both pretrial detention and the prisons, so a person may be held in the same facility before and after sentencing. Visiting an Alaska prisoner generally means getting on the approved visitor list and then arranging a visit with the specific facility. Because facilities set their own days, hours, and visit type, the details are confirmed with each institution.

The first 24 hours after booking

Alaska sets out a distinct rule for the period right after a person is booked on new criminal charges. During the first 24 hours, family and friends may visit at any time, day or night, without being on an approved visitor list — a valid government-issued photo ID is shown at the front desk. Attorneys may also visit during this first 24-hour period. After 24 hours pass, the approved-list rule applies.

Getting on the approved visitor list

After the first 24 hours, each visitor must be on the prisoner’s Approved Visitors List. A person can normally be on only one prisoner’s list; the exceptions are an immediate family member or a case approved by the superintendent. Each visitor registers their name, address, and relationship on entry and must present a driver’s license or other state or government-issued photo ID. Visitors and their belongings are searched, and a refusal to be searched means the visit does not take place.

Some categories of visitor face added conditions. A visitor on probation or parole needs permission from their probation or parole officer and from the superintendent. A person released from a correctional facility within the prior 60 days may be denied, with some exceptions.

Scheduling a visit

Alaska has no statewide online visit-booking portal. Visiting hours for each facility are listed on the Alaska DOC Institutions website, and many facilities arrange visits by appointment. Spring Creek Correctional Center in Seward, for example, lists visiting Sunday through Saturday, 1–4 p.m. by appointment.

Confirm the visitor is on the prisoner’s approved visitor list (after the first 24 hours).
Find the facility’s posted visiting hours on the Alaska DOC Institutions page, or call the facility directly.
Arrange the visit with that facility, including an appointment where the facility requires one.

Days and hours vary by facility and are posted per facility. A visitor who arrives late may be turned away.

Contact and non-contact visits

Alaska uses two visit types, and which one applies depends on the facility and the prisoner’s custody level:

Secure visitation limits or prohibits physical contact.
Contact visitation allows a brief hug at the start and end of the visit only. Kissing and fondling are not permitted, and visitors and the prisoner sit in separate chairs. A young child may sit with a relative who is incarcerated when staff approve.

Most visits run about one hour, except under exceptional circumstances.

Special visits for long-distance travel

Several Alaska facilities are in remote communities reachable mainly by plane — including Yukon-Kuskokwim Correctional Center in Bethel, Anvil Mountain Correctional Center in Nome, and Ketchikan Correctional Center — and Lemon Creek Correctional Center serves Juneau, which has no road connection to the rest of the state. For families traveling long distances, the superintendent can approve a special visit (a longer visit or one outside the usual hours) on a case-by-case basis.

Identification

Every adult visitor presents a driver’s license or other state or government-issued photo ID on entry and registers their name, address, and relationship to the prisoner.

Visiting with minors

A minor child of the prisoner is not restricted from visiting, absent a court order. A minor family member who is not the prisoner’s child must be accompanied by an immediate-family adult, with proof of the relationship (such as a birth certificate). A minor who is not a family member must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

Dress code

The Alaska DOC dress code applies to all visitors:

Closed-toe footwear is required.
No cut-offs, shorts, beachwear, or mini-skirts.
No low-cut or see-through tops, and no tube tops.
No hats in the visiting area unless authorized.

For men, a shirt and trousers; for women, a shirt with a skirt or slacks, or a dress. Each facility enforces the dress code at the entrance.

Where women are held and the maximum-security prison

All women in Alaska DOC custody — pretrial and sentenced, across custody levels — are concentrated at Hiland Mountain Correctional Center in Eagle River, the state’s dedicated women’s facility. Several co-ed regional facilities also hold women on a shorter-term basis. The state’s only maximum-security men’s prison is Spring Creek Correctional Center in Seward, which houses the highest-custody men. Visit type and scheduling at each facility follow that facility’s rules.

Verify Before Acting

Confirm the plan with the specific facility before traveling. After the first 24 hours, the visitor must be on the prisoner’s approved visitor list (a person can normally be on only one list). Alaska has no statewide scheduler — visiting days and hours are posted per facility, and many facilities require an appointment, so check the facility’s page on the Alaska DOC Institutions website or call it directly. Bring a driver’s license or government photo ID; visitors and belongings are searched; visits are typically about one hour; and closed-toe footwear is required. Confirm the person’s current facility on VINELink first, since a remote facility may be reachable mainly by plane. Visiting rules and schedules change; the Alaska DOC Friends & Family Handbook and each facility are the authoritative sources.

Sources

This page is compiled from the following publicly available sources. Policies change without notice — confirm current details with the facility before relying on them.