In-person visits at two more state prisons will resume early next month, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections announced Thursday.
Visitors can return to SCI Camp Hill in Cumberland County on August 9 and to SCI Fayette (Fayette County) on August 6, DOC Secretary John Wetzel said in a press release.
In-person visitation is permitted for the permanent prison population only, Wetzel said.
SCI Camp Hill serves as the DOC’s diagnostic and classification center. Video visitation remains available for incarcerated people awaiting classification, according to the DOC.
Due to reduced visiting room capacity, visitors to the correctional institutions must schedule their visits online at least three days in advance, Wetzel said. Those who arrive at a facility without an appointment will be turned away, he added.
Available visitation timeslots are determined by each facility, based on an inmate’s housing location within the prison, the DOC said. Each visit will be least one hour in duration.
No-cost video visits remain an option for people to connect with incarcerated loved ones, according to the DOC.
Information on scheduling an in-person or video visit and the reopening of DOC facilities is available at cor.pa.gov.
Visitors may begin scheduling in-person visits via the inmate visitation system seven days before the start date. Dates are subject to change.
Established visiting rules remain in effect, Wetzel said. Visitors are also required to complete a COVID-19 questionnaire and temperature screening. All inmates and visitors ages 2 and older are issued a disposable facemask, which must be worn for the duration of the visit.
Visiting rooms have been configured in a way that allows for social distancing between each visiting group, according to the DOC. Visits can be cancelled by the facility if the rules are not followed.
