Visiting in Louisiana (DPS&C)

This guide covers Louisiana’s eight state prisons. Because most people serving a state sentence in Louisiana are held in local parish jails instead, the last section covers how that changes everything — and the state overview explains how to tell which kind of facility holds a person.

Getting on the List

The application begins on the inside, under the state’s visiting regulation (OP-C-9). The incarcerated person either sends the prospective visitor an Application for Visiting Privileges or asks the facility to email it to them. The visitor completes it and returns it by mail or email directly to the facility — faxes are not accepted. A parent or legal guardian completes the form for a child.

Every adult visitor goes through a criminal-history background check, and approved visitors are re-screened every two years. A few things about who can be approved:

• A prior conviction by itself does not disqualify a visitor — denial requires written justification that the person’s presence threatens security
• People on probation or parole are not barred by that status; an approval letter from their supervising officer creates a presumption that they can visit
• Victims of the offense are prohibited, and current or former DPS&C employees (separated within ten years) may visit immediate family only

Each incarcerated person may keep up to 10 approved visitors (more in some recognition programs); a religious adviser, legal advisers, and minor children do not count toward the 10. A visitor may be on only one person’s list per institution unless they are immediate family of more than one. The list can be changed on arrival at a prison and every four months after. The facility notifies both the visitor and the incarcerated person, in writing, whether the application was approved.

DPS&C’s regulation says the application form is posted on its website, but the public visitor-information page is currently a broken link, so the reliable way to get the form is from the incarcerated person or by calling the facility.

Minors

A visitor under 18 must be accompanied at all times by an adult who is on the same person’s approved list, visiting the same person. Minor children do not count toward the 10-visitor limit but must be listed, and a parent or legal guardian signs the application. Facilities are directed to set aside a child-friendly space where room allows — at minimum child-size chairs, crayons, and coloring books. A person with a conviction for a sex offense against a minor family member cannot visit any minor, including their own child. Where a court has ordered visitation between a child and an incarcerated parent, the department cannot deny it, though all other visiting rules still apply.

Scheduling

There is no statewide online scheduling system — visiting is walk-in within each facility’s posted days and hours, and those vary by prison (and at the women’s facility, by custody level). The statewide norm is two visits per month per approved visitor, with visits commonly two hours long. Each facility page on this site carries that prison’s current schedule.

During the first 30 days, while a newly sentenced person is in reception and classification, the approved-visitor list usually isn’t in place; at the reception center, immediate family may be able to visit during that window without it, and a special visit can be requested if intake runs long. Contact visiting — now the default — happens in an open area; physical contact is limited to a brief embrace and kiss at the start and end, plus handholding. Louisiana does not offer conjugal or overnight family visits.

What to Wear

The published dress code, which applies to all visitors:

• No denim or chambray, no gray, blue, or white sweatshirts, and no white t-shirts — these resemble inmate clothing — and no camouflage or BDU-style clothing that resembles officer dress
• Undergarments are required and must not be visible
• Nothing transparent; no swimsuits, strapless, tube, halter, or tank tops, low-cut or midriff-baring tops, or spandex, Lycra, or leggings
• Skirts, shorts, and dresses no shorter than one inch above the knee, with no revealing slits or holes
• No house slippers, shower shoes, or flip-flops — footwear stays on
• No hats or head coverings except for religious reasons; nothing gang-related or obscene

Improper dress means the visit is denied at the door, and the details can vary by facility.

ID and Entry

Bring a valid photo ID — a driver’s license, state ID, military ID, or passport. A statewide notice puts the ID age at 18 and older, while facility pages say 15, so the safe approach is to bring ID for anyone 15 or older.

Everyone entering — including children — is subject to a search of their person, belongings, and vehicle, using metal detectors, body or ion scanners, and trained drug-detection dogs. Refusing a search means no visit. Pregnant women, people receiving radiation treatment, and children 12 and under may request an alternative search instead of a body scan (with a doctor’s note where required). The statewide rule is to leave wallets, purses, phones, and cash locked in the vehicle; each prison allows a short list of items into the visit, covered on its facility page.

Video Visits

Video visits run through JPay Video Connect, the system’s contracted vendor, and are treated as a special visit type. Availability varies by facility and pricing changes, so confirm whether the specific prison offers remote video and what it currently costs through the JPay account. Phone and messaging are covered in Phone & Video Calls.

If Someone Is in a Parish Jail

This is the part that sets Louisiana apart. The rules above apply only to the eight DPS&C state prisons. But most people serving a state sentence in Louisiana are physically held in local jails run by parish sheriffs — the highest rate in the country. In a parish jail:

• The sheriff sets the visiting rules, not DPS&C — the schedule, the approval process, the ID rules, and whether visits are in person or video-only all differ, jail to jail
• The vendors are different — phone, video, and money systems are whatever that sheriff has contracted

So the first step is always to confirm the exact facility where the person is held (state custody does not mean a state prison) using the locator described in Transfers. If it is a state prison, the rules here apply. If it is a parish jail, go to that sheriff’s office for its visiting rules.

If a Visitor Is Suspended

Bringing contraband or breaking a rule can suspend a visitor — and a suspension at one DPS&C prison applies at all of them. The visitor receives written notice and may appeal to the Secretary within 15 days; the appeal is decided within 30 days. An indefinitely removed visitor can be reconsidered only after 12 months. Introducing contraband is also a crime under state law.

Verify Before Acting

For the general, nationwide overview of this topic, see the national guide: Visiting Basics.