How Prisons in Each State Are Restricting Visits Due to Coronavirus

On April 30, 2021, Alaska reopened most of its prisons to visitors with some restricitons, including mandating the wearing of masks. All visitation, including legal visits, were suspended on March 13, 2020. On March 17, 2021, in-person visits with attorneys resumed.

On June 19, 2021, Arizona began to reopen its prisons to visitation for vaccinated prisoners. Personal visits had been suspended since March 13, 2020, and legal visits were stopped as well.

All visitation, including legal visits, was suspended on March 16, 2020. In December, Arkansas reopened for some visits but closed again within a few weeks. On March 6, 2021, limited visits resumed in four facilities and later expanded in June to all prisons.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation resumed in-person visits on April 10, 2021. Wardens of individual prisons could determine whether to reopen based on the number of active caess at their faciliites. Normal visitation was first suspended on March 13, 2020, and legal visits on April 7.

On May 4, 2021, Colorado began to allow limited visitation at some of its facilities and expanded it to across the system later in the month. Personal visits were initially suspended on March 11, 2020. Legal visits are allowed, but they will be non-contact visits.

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.

Personal visits resumed on March 16, 2021, with restrictions. Visitation was first suspended on March 12, 2020. Visits resumed briefly in late June and then again in early September, but in November, they were stopped amid rapidly increasing spread of the coronavirus in the state.

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.

All visitation, including legal visits, were suspended on March 13, 2020. On April 3, 2021, personal visits resumed with restricitons, such as one visit per prisoner every other month.

On June 12, 2021, personal visits began to resume at some Idaho prisons. They had been suspended since March 13, 2020. Legal visits were allowed, but officials strongly recommended communicating by phone instead.

On April 12, 2021, limited visitation resumed at one prison in Illinois and expanded to more than 10 additional facillities a week later. Personal visits were initially suspended on March 14, 2020.

Limited personal visits began again on June 21, 2021, after being suspended since March 14, 2020. Legal visits had been allowed, but non-contact visits were strongly encouraged and attorneys could be screened upon arrival.

Personal visits were suspended on March 12, 2020, and prisons began to reopen for non-contact visits on March 13, 2021.

Personal visits were suspended on March 12, 2020, but legal visits were allowed. Limited, non-contact visits resumed in several Maine prisons on March 18, 2021. Visits had begun in July of 2020 but were suspended again on Nov. 1.

On May 1, 2021, Massachusetts began to reopen visitation at three prisons, with more added in the following days. Personal visits were first suspended on March 13, 2020 and resumed with limits in July. On Nov. 14, 2020, the prisons again halted visits amid rising coronavirus cases. Legal visits were allowed.

Personal visits were suspended on March 13, 2020, but legal visits were allowed. On March 26, 2021, limited personal visits resumed at some Michigan prisons that were not in quarantine.

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 some Minnesota prisons.

Personal visits have been suspended since March 12, 2020, but legal visits are allowed.

Personal visits for prisoners who are fully vaccinated resumed on June 1, 2021. They had initially been suspended March 12, 2020, but legal visits were allowed. On June 25, 2020, visits resumed with some precautions, and as many as five prisons at a time reopened through the summer and fall. On Dec. 30, visits were suspended in all prisons while the rollout of vaccines began.

On April 24, 2021, Montana began to reopen its prisons with some restrictions, including requiring visitors to wear masks. Personal and legal visits were suspended on March 13, 2020.

On Dec. 15, 2021, limited visitation resumed at five prisons and at all facilities on Jan. 6. Personal visits were first suspended on March 16, 2020. Legal visits were allowed, but attorneys were 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 May 1, 2021, Nevada reopened its prisons to visitors, with limits on capacity. All visitation, including legal visits, had been suspended since March 7, 2020.

All visitation, including legal visits, were suspended on March 16, 2020. Starting on Aug. 10, limited personal and attorney visits resumed.

New Jersey began to allow limited outdoor visits on May 1, 2021. Personal visits were originally suspended on March 10, 2020, but legal visits were allowed. On Oct. 9, 2020, outdoor visits resumed but were then suspended again on Dec. 8.

On June 14, 2021, New Mexico reopened limited, non-contact visits for vaccinated prisoners and vaccinated visitors. All visits, including contact, non-contact and legal visits had been suspended since March 16, 2020.

On April 28, 2021, New York's Department of Corrections and Community Supervision resumed non-contact personal visits, starting with maximum security prisons. Visitation was originally suspended on March 14, 2020 though legal visits were allowed. On Aug. 6, 2020visitation began to resume, but on Dec. 30, personal visits were stopped again at all prisons statewide.

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 contact visits were suspended on March 12, 2020. Visits began in June of 2020 and later suspended in July. On March 29, 2020, visits resumed.

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. On Feb. 16, visitation resumed at some facilities.

Visitation was suspended on March 13, 2020, and legal visits were allowed. Limited visitation resumed in June 5, but was later cancelled again amid another wave of infections in the fall. Oklahoma reopened for visits with restrictions on April 1, 2021.

All visitation, including legal visits, were suspended on March 12, 2020. On March 29, 2021, Oregon began a pilot program allowing limited, non-contact visits at one prison but later halted the program on April 28, 2021. The program began again on June 14, 2021.

Personal visits began to resume in Pennsylvania prisons on May 22, 2021. They had been suspended since March 13, 2020, but legal visits are allowed. Legal visitation was suspended for one day, March 13.

On April 14, Rhode Island's Department of Corrections resumed non-contact visits with some restrictions. All visitation, including legal visits, had been suspended on March 11, 2020. On Aug. 12, visits with attorneys resumed.

Personal visits began to resume for vaccinated prisoners at several South Carolina prisons on June 19, 2021. They had been suspended since March 13, 2020, but legal visits were allowed.

Visitation was suspended since March 12, 2020, but legal visits were allowed. On March 8, 2021, non-contact personal visits started again, with new restrictions and health guidelines.

On April 10, 2021, the Tennessee Department of Correction reopened limited visitation. 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 were suspended on March 13, 2020. On March 15, 2021, personal visits began again, with restrictions. Visitors must take a rapid coronavirus test before being admitted.

Personal visits began again on June 18, 2021. They had been suspended since March 12, 2020. Non-contact legal visits were allowed.

Non-contact personal visits resumed on May 9, 2021. They had been suspended since March 12, 2020, but legal visits were allowed.

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.