“A Serious Case of the Prison Visit Blues”

Rrom following strict dress codes to being frisked, visiting a loved one at New Jersey State Prison has always been a headache. But lingering COVID-19 restrictions have created a whole new set of issues.

Before the pandemic, people on our approved lists could simply show up at the prison during visiting hours for a “window visit” through plexiglass. Weekend “contact visits” in the North Compound hall were granted on a first come, first served basis. If my brother, his wife and their two young children made it to check-in by 8:45 a.m., getting in wasn’t a problem.

Nowadays, visitors have to call the prison and book a slot 48 hours in advance. But this only works if someone answers the phone. Staff are supposed to pick up Mondays through Thursdays, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., but my brother says he’s had to call for hours — or even days — to reach a human being.

At times, staff members have answered the phone, told him “the system is down,” and abruptly hung up. On two occasions, he booked a visit and drove the two hours from Long Island, New York, but was turned away at the door because the appointment wasn’t actually logged. With my brother’s word against that of phantom employees who didn’t identify themselves, we were out of luck. (Recently, after my repeated calls and letters to the corrections department and the recommendation of our tier representatives, the prison has been giving visitors registration numbers that they can use as confirmation.)