As COVID-19 spread earlier this year, prison facilities across the country suspended visits from family and lawyers. Several months into the pandemic, some states are easing those restrictions. We’re rounding up the changes as they occur.
Some states are gradually resuming in-person court proceedings, though reopening plans can differ greatly between districts. Visit the National Center for State Courts, which is tracking the court opening policies in detail.
Have you tried to visit a person in prison or jail recently? Tell us about it here.
All visitation, including legal visits, has been suspended since March 13, 2020. Urgent legal meetings are considered on a case-by-case basis.
All visitation, including legal visits, has been suspended since March 13, 2020.
Visitation has been suspended since March 13, 2020. Legal visits are also suspended.
All visitation, including legal visits, has been suspended since March 16, 2020. On Dec. 12, Arkansas began to allow limited visits to prisoners in four facilities, but those visits were again suspended on Dec. 30.
Normal visitation has been suspended since March 13, 2020, and legal visits suspended since April 7. Overnight family visits have been suspended since March 16.
All visitation, including legal visits, has been suspended since March 13, 2020.
Personal visits has been suspended since March 12, 2020. Legal visits are also suspended, but exceptions may be made at the discretion of the warden.
Visitation has been suspended since March 13, 2020. Legal visits are also suspended.
All visitation, including legal visits, has been suspended since March 7, 2020.
All visits, including contact, non-contact and legal visits have been suspended since March 16, 2020.
Personal visits were suspended on March 12, 2020, as were legal visits, though wardens could grant special requests for in-person access. On Oct. 3, Tennessee reopened three prisons for limited visitation and later a fourth. On Dec. 1, visitation at all prisons was again suspended.
Personal visits have been suspended since March 13, 2020. Legal visits are also suspended, though some exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis for Death Row prisoners with execution dates set.
Personal visits have been suspended since March 13, 2020. Legal visits are also suspended.
Personal visits have been suspended since March 11, 2020. Legal visits are allowed, but they will be non-contact visits.
Visitation was suspended on March 12, 2020 "until the DOC implements enhanced screening measures." Visits were resumed briefly in late June and then again in early September, but on Nov. 12, visits were stopped again amid rapidly increasing spread of the coronavirus in the state. Legal visits are allowed.
Personal visits have been suspended since March 13, 2020, but legal visits are allowed.
Personal visits have been suspended since March 13, 2020. Legal visits are allowed, but officials strongly recommend communicating by phone instead.
Personal visits have been suspended since March 14, 2020. Legal visits are allowed, but attorneys will be screened upon arrival.
Visitation has been suspended since March 11, 2020. Legal visits are allowed, but attorneys will be screened upon arrival for contact visits.
Personal visits have been suspended since March 14, 2020. Legal visits are allowed, but non-contact visits are strongly encouraged, and attorneys will be screened upon arrival.
Personal visits have been suspended since March 12, 2020. Legal visits are allowed, but officials strongly recommend communicating by phone or in writing.
Personal visits have been suspended since March 14, 2020. Legal visits are allowed, but non-contact visits are strongly encouraged and attorneys may be screened upon arrival.
Personal visits were suspended on March 12, 2020, but legal visits were allowed. Limited, non-contact visits resumed in July but were suspended again on Nov. 1.
Personal visits have been suspended since March 12, 2020, but legal visits are allowed.
Personal visits were suspended on March 13, 2020, and resumed with limits in July. On Nov. 14, the prisons again halted visits. Legal visits are allowed.
Personal visits have been suspended since March 13, 2020, but legal visits are allowed.
Personal visits have been suspended since March 12, 2020, but legal visits are allowed.
Personal visits were suspended on March 10, 2020, but legal visits were allowed. On Oct. 9, New Jersey began to allow limited visits held outdoors, by appointment as weather permitted. On Dec. 8, visitation was again suspended.
Visitation was suspended starting March 14, 2020. Legal visits were allowed. On Aug. 6, visitation began to resume, with some limits. On Dec. 30, personal visits were stopped again at all prisons statewide.
All contact visits were suspended on March 12, 2020. Legal visits were also suspended but could be arranged with a warden on a case-by-case basis. On June 27, the state began to phase in limited outdoor visits at one adult prison and a youth facility. The adult prison stopped visits on July 31, and visits at all facilities were suspended on Sept. 27.
Personal visits were suspended on March 12, 2020. Legal visits were allowed, and attorneys were screened on entry. On July 8, outdoor visits began at some prisons. By Oct. 30, however, all of the prisons were closed to visitors again. Ohio's Department of Rehabilitation and Correction will evaluate conditions weekly to determine which any prisons can reopen again, based on local coronavirus conditions: if the county is designated as red based on the state's Health Advisory System or there are positive cases among the staff or the incarcerated.
Visitation was suspended on March 13, 2020, and legal visits were allowed. Limited visitation resumed on June 5, but was later cancelled again on Sept. 30.
All visitation, including legal visits, were suspended on March 12, 2020. On Aug. 24, Oregon began to allow legal visits only in prisons with no known COVID-19 cases.
Personal visits have been suspended since March 13, 2020, but legal visits are allowed. Legal visitation was suspended for one day, March 13.
All visitation, including legal visits, were suspended on March 11, 2020. Urgent medical visits are allowed. On Aug. 12, visits with attorneys resumed.
Personal visits have been suspended since March 13, 2020, but legal visits are allowed.
Visitation has been suspended since March 12, 2020, but legal visits are allowed.
Personal visits have been suspended since March 12, 2020. Legal visits are allowed, but they will be non-contact visits.
Personal visits have been suspended since March 13, 2020, but legal visits are allowed.
Personal visits have been suspended since March 12, 2020, but legal visits are allowed.
Personal visits have been suspended, but legal visits are allowed.
Personal visits have been suspended since March 13, 2020, but legal visits are allowed.
Personal visits have been suspended since March 18, 2020. Lawyers are allowed access, but may not have physical contact with prisoners and can only meet through phone or video calls.
Personal visits were suspended on March 13, 2020. Legal visits were allowed, but officials strongly recommend communicating by phone instead. On Oct. 15, Connecticut began to resume limited, pre-scheduled, non-contact visits.
Washington, D.C., sends its prisoners to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, where all visitation, including legal visits, were suspended on March 13, 2020, though attorneys could be approved for an in-person visit on a case-by-case basis. On Oct. 3, some federal prisons began to reopen for non-contact personal visits, with restrictions.
Personal visits were suspended on March 11, 2020, but legal visits were allowed. On Oct. 2, Florida began to allow limited visits with some restrictions.
Personal visits were suspended on March 12, 2020. Legal visits are allowed, but they will not be face-to-face visits. On July 22, the state resumed limited personal visits at prisons that have not had two positive cases in the previous two weeks. On Nov. 30, the last prison was closed to visitors due to a rise in cases. On Jan. 6, 2021, visitation resumed at one Minnesota prison.
Personal visits were suspended March 12, 2020, but legal visits were allowed. On June 25, visits resumed at 3 prisons, with some precautions. One of these facilities later had to stop visits while others resumed them.
Personal visits were suspended on March 16, 2020. Legal visits are allowed, but attorneys will be screened on entry. On July 15, a limited number of non-contact visits began for those who pre-registered, but visits were again suspended on Aug. 7. On Dec. 15, limited visitation resumed at five prisons.
All visitation, including legal visits, were suspended on March 16, 2020. Starting on Aug. 10, limited personal and attorney visits resumed.
Personal visits were suspended on March 13, 2020, but legal and pastoral visits were allowed. On Oct. 1, North Carolina began to allow visits with significant restrictions.
All visitation, including legal visits, were suspended by the Federal Bureau of Prisons on March 13, 2020, though attorneys could be approved for an in-person visit on a case-by-case basis. On Oct. 3, some federal prisons began to reopen for non-contact personal visits, with restrictions.
This is produced in partnership with the Associated Press.
Sources State prison systems
Graphic by Katie Park and Tom Meagher
Reporting by Cary Aspinwall, Keri Blakinger, Jake Bleiberg, Andrew R. Calderón, Maurice Chammah, Andrew DeMillo, Eli Hager, Jamiles Lartey, Claudia Lauer, Nicole Lewis, Weihua Li, Humera Lodhi, Colleen Long, Tom Meagher, Joseph Neff, Alysia Santo, Beth Schwartzapfel, Damini Sharma, Colleen Slevin, Christie Thompson, Abbie VanSickle and Andrew Welsh-Huggins
Additional development by Gabe Isman