First Visit Coming

Don't know anything about that facility but good luck and enjoy your visit!! :)

i DEFINITELY know the feeling you're going through! i'm about to make a visit myself, my first one on september 5th at sci-fayette near pittsburgh in labelle pa. i'm just waiting to see if that date is good for him. i'm sorry but i don't know anything about the jail, i don't know much about the one i'm going to either! the only information i could tell you to look at is probably the DOC website for the state. it'll probably give you the visiting hours, dress code, if you can bring in money, stuff like that. but i'm excited AND nervous, nervous mainly because i'm not sure what to expect from that jail. but if you ever want to talk about the whole visiting thing, just send an email my way at LilLizzieRae [at] aol.comrel="nofollow".

Liz

The first visit is always the best. Dont worry too much. Just be yourself, smile alot and you'll be fine. They love to see a smiling face and you'll see that it wont take long for you to get a great smile in return. Good luck and enjoy your first visits.....

Hey there!

I am not sure if they told ya this, you visit, if he is an ad seg inmate will be behind glass and you'll talk via the phone. Sigh, I know right?

My Pal in Texas added me to his list and he is a DR pal and our visit will be behind glass as well. He told me that it isn't as bad as it sounds and the visits mean the world to him as all he sees all day long is his cell.

Just smile and be yourself and you will do fine!

Good luck with your visit. Im sure your pal is looking forward to it and as nervous as you are. As everyone else said... smile be happy and be yourself and everything will be just fine!
Mary xoxo

The first visit is nerve wracking at best. I know the first time I went, not knowing what to expect and all.

The advice you've gotten so far is the same advice I normally give...just greet him with a big smile, be yourself, and everything will go from there. The visit will go quickly and it will be hard to leave, but you'll carry the day with you for a long time to come!

Be safe, have fun and enjoy!

And I almost forgot.....be sure to share how it all goes with your WAP family!

I write to someone is Huntsville, TX as well so I am curious who it is ;) Anyways best of luck to you and tell us how it went!

The visits in TX are much different than the ones I've been to in CA, FL and OR to see penpals. In TX the visits are for only 2 hours, unless you come over 300 miles (I believe), then you get up to 4 hours. The visits are only on Saturday and Sunday from 8a-5p. It usually takes some time (up to 30 minutes) to be processed and the wait for your pp to come. The time starts when he comes to the visit room. If you are not family, the visit will be behind glass and you talk through a phone (hopefully it will not be that noisy in the background as some of the phones I've been on are a little faint). Since he is in SEG, you'll be through the glass regardless of family or not. There are very few SEG visiting glass booths, so you'll have to wait if they are all full. Where I visit in New Boston, there are only 6 SEG booths, and people were having to wait 2 hours and come back when others visits were up. Sometimes the guards don't really pay attention to the time and you may get a little longer visit, or if it's not busy. You can bring either $10 or $20 in change only (I always bring $10, but can't remember if the limit is 10 or 20), bring it in a plastic baggie, and there are vending machines with sandwiches, snacks and drinks for you and him to have. If you want a picture of him to take home with you, it's $3 (coins only..no paper money allowed inside) and you pay for it before you go in. It'll be a polaroid pic, and they aren't that great, but it's nice to have something from the visit. Have a great time!

Anyone ever visited at Solano in CA?

No, I've not been to Solano in CA. I've not heard of that one. When your pp in CA sends the visitation list to you for you to fill out, there'll be a sheet along with it to give you the rules and all. You can also look it up on the CA doc website for the different prisons and how to get there, visiting times, etc.

No, I've not been to Solano in CA. I've not heard of that one. When your pp in CA sends the visitation list to you for you to fill out, there'll be a sheet along with it to give you the rules and all. You can also look it up on the CA doc website for the different prisons and how to get there, visiting times, etc.

Thanks, Travelhound! The info sheet should answer all my questions, then. Appreciate your response.

No, I've not been to Solano in CA. I've not heard of that one. When your pp in CA sends the visitation list to you for you to fill out, there'll be a sheet along with it to give you the rules and all. You can also look it up on the CA doc website for the different prisons and how to get there, visiting times, etc.

When you go to visit your pal, are they waiting for you in the visiting room or are you usually the one waiting for him/her to come out?
Funny thing I've been wondering, do you recognize him right off the bat or you are you kinda like.. hmmmm is that him?? lol

LilLizzie, this is another of those things that are different at different facilities, I belive.

Where I go, the inmate is already there, waiting for you to come in. I know the first time I went to see Gator, I was scared to death we wouldn't know one another. But he was waiting for me as I entered the door, and he smiled. So I knew from his pictures that it was him. As a matter of fact, my first words to him were: "I'd know that smile anywhere!"

I think this is a common worry, but I don't think it should be. I mean, once you have sent pics and gotten to know the heart of someone, instinct seems to take over and you 'just know'!!

When you are signing in/registering, he's being notified that you're there. Depending on your time arrival, he can be there or he might have to wait for headcount.

I've never seen them in the visiting room before arrival. Usually people are finding a seat or given a designated place while they're behind the door getting stripped searched.

In TX, FL and CA you arrive before them in the visitation room. In OR you have to wait outside the visitation room until they arrive and are told where to sit, then you go in and go to where they are sitting (in OR you can't move seats, or roam the visitation room. The inmate has to have permission to leave his seat and go to the restroom or to have a picture taken...very primitave compared with the 3 above states I mentioned. I always recognized my pen pals when meeting for the first time, and they always recognized me.

My first visit with my ex was very nerve wracking..I had butterflies the whole time wondering if he would still love me like he said he did after he saw me..I recognized him right off the bat and him me...he came out and just took me in his arms and gave me such a great kiss...here in az depending on the prison it is contact visits and where he was you could go in and outside it was great...
well now I am getting ready to go on my first visit to visit mine in KY next year..We have been writing for almost 6 years now...It would have been done sooner only he got into some trouble and they took his visits..Oh well didn't take them all together just if I went he would only get a visit for 2 hours and it would be behind glass...we don't want our first visit to be behind glass...especially since I'm coming from Arizona to Kentucky to see him... He is in Green River Correctional and I could visit him for 8 hours on sat and sunday..so it's something I'm really looking forward to for next year..the butterflies are already starting...He tells me he knows when it gets closer to the time they will be there for him to...so good luck on your first visit and let us know how it goes...

All places are different Shizzel...my pal is in the visting room before I get in there. They call him down first then i come in, then we have a seat.

I know i have to wait when i get there to see my baby or my other pal thats in new york. When i first go in, they assign me a seat and then i usually sit there and wait because sometimes they are in the middle of something or want to freshen up for the visit. But waiting for 30 min or so is well worth it to me! (hehehe)
Mary xoxo

I scheduled my first visit today and I am excited but nervous and stuff but its official I am goin :)