Starting next Thursday, Algoa Correctional Center in central Missouri’s Jefferson City, South Central Correctional Center in Licking and Chillicothe Correctional Center in northwest Missouri will begin allowing visitors again. Since the spread of the coronavirus, Missouri’s state prisons have been closed to families, friends and acquaintances of inmates.
Three Missouri prisons to reopen to visitors next week – with some restrictions
Restrictions
•All visitors must call the facility to schedule an appointment. Contact information is available here.
•Visiting will be increased to four days per week, Thursday through Sunday. However, the visiting rooms will be open at only 30% capacity, with 2-hour slots, with 2 visitors per offender.
• All visitors must pass COVID-19 screening with a temperature check prior to entering the check-in area; anyone who does not pass the screening will not be allowed to enter
• Any visitor exhibiting signs of illness may be turned away
• Maximum of 2 visitors per offender
• Maximum of 2 visits per month
• Visits restricted to 2 hours in length with 45-minute break between visits to sanitize all surfaces and to process new visitors
• No minors under the age of 18
• Any visitor or offender with a serious underlying medical condition should refrain from visiting
• All visitors, staff and offenders will be required to wear a face cover or mask while in the visiting area; visitors must bring their own face covers
• Face covers will be inspected/searched for contraband and must be lowered when entering/exiting for identification purposes
• No contact between visitor and offender; no entrance/exit embrace or kiss; no contact at the table
• Visitors may use beverage vending machines only. No drink sharing is allowed. One person at a time at the vending machine, which will be cleaned after each use.
• No food vending, microwaves, water fountains or sink areas may be used
• No offender on quarantine status will be allowed to visit
• No games may be checked out
• Children’s areas remain closed
• No pictures
• Visiting rooms will be at 30% capacity, and each offender’s visitor(s) will be spaced apart from other visitors
Dates for resuming visiting at other prisons have not yet been set.
The easing of visitation restrictions at the three prisons come as 21 people at the state prison in southeast Missouri’s Bonne Terre have tested positive for the coronavirus. Department of Corrections spokesperson Karen Pojmann says 16 inmates and 5 employees – all asymptomatic – have tested positive.
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