Service overview
Incarcerated people can receive visitors in prison for one hour each week. Walk-ins are not permitted. You must schedule your visit at least 48 hours in advance.
If you are visiting an incarcerated person, you can bring an outfit for them to attend court in.
Philadelphia prison facilities are operated by the Philadelphia Department of Prisons (PDP).
Who
Who can visit an incarcerated person
Friends and family members can visit incarcerated people.
Children that are six months and older can visit with a parent or guardian. The adult must provide proof of custody or a birth certificate. Children cannot visit during school hours.
No more than one adult and one child can visit with a person at one time.
Who can’t visit an incarcerated person
You cannot visit someone in jail or prison at a PDP facility if you:
- Are on probation, parole, or conditional release including furlough and work release.
- Were incarcerated in any Philadelphia Department of Prisons facility in the last six months.
- Are believed to have a potential detrimental effect on the person you are visiting, or pose a security threat to the facility.
- Have had your visiting privileges suspended.
If you have been denied a visit because of one of the reasons above, you can request special permission from the facility’s warden.
Requirements
Dress code
Visitors must follow a dress code. You may not wear:
- Plain white t-shirts.
- Clothing that closely resembles an incarcerated person’s uniform (orange jumpsuits, blue scrub tops).
- Hoodies or jackets with hoods.
- Hot pants or short-shorts. (Bermuda shorts are permissible.)
- Torn jeans.
- Revealing clothing or see-through fabric anywhere on the torso.
- Mini-skirts or dresses (must be within two inches of the knee).
- Low-rise pants or skirts that reveal undergarments.
- Clothing with offensive or provocative language.
- Clothing with writing across the seat of pants or skirt.
- Open-toe shoes.
- Jewelry.
Visitors must wear:
- Shirts with sleeves.
- Underwear.
If you’re wearing leggings or stretch pants, your top must cover your hips when you raise your arms above your head.
Where and when
Appointments for visits are first-come, first-served. You must make your appointment between 48 hours and seven days in advance.
Saturday visits are reserved for designated facility populations. Holiday visits are only allowed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
Visitors must be at the facility at least ten minutes before the scheduled visit.
Friends and family members can collect personal effects from the cashier during the hours listed below. The cashier’s office is open 24 hours a day at release.
Visiting hours by facility
| Facility | Address | Day | Time slots | Visits per slot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curran-Fromhold Correctional Center (CFCF) | 7901 State Rd. | Monday–Friday | 9 – 10 a.m.
1 – 2 p.m. 3 – 4 p.m. |
12 |
| Detention Center (DC) | 8201 State Rd.* | Monday–Friday | 9 – 10 a.m.
1 – 2 p.m. 3 – 4 p.m. |
6 |
| Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center (PICC) | 8301 State Rd. | Monday–Friday | 9 – 10 a.m.
1 – 2 p.m. 3 – 4 p.m. |
10 |
| Riverside Correctional Facility (RCF) | 8151 State Rd. | Monday–Friday | 9 – 10 a.m.
1 – 2 p.m. 3 – 4 p.m. |
10 |
| RCF Alternative and Special Detention Modular Unit (RCF ASDMOD3) | 8101 State Rd.* | Saturday | 9 – 10 a.m.
1 – 2 p.m. |
6 |
| Youthful Offenders | 8151 State Rd. | Saturday | 3 – 4 p.m. | 10 |
* To visit an incarcerated person at the Detention Center (DC), Alternative & Special Detention Center (ASD), or ASD MOD III, go to the Riverside Correctional Facility (RCF) visiting lobby.
How
In the visiting area, you can store your belongings in a locker. You must have quarters for the lockers. There is no change machine in the waiting room.
They may ask you to loosen undergarments to perform the search. You also need to go through a metal detector.
If you feel that a search was improper, ask to speak to a supervisor or contact the Office of Community Justice Outreach (CJO) at (215) 685-8909 or (215) 685-7288.
If the person you are visiting doesn’t want to see you, you will not be allowed to visit them. The PDP will not force anyone to meet a visitor if they don’t want to.