Personal visits by legitimate ministers, priests, etc. within the open hours defined under Jail Hours will be permitted. Clergy must be on approved list. All visits will be no-contact visits. Prior approval must be made for contact visits. Requests for a contact visit must be made in writing prior to the day of your visit.
Clergy Policies and Procedures
Purpose
To ensure that all inmates have the opportunity, on a voluntary basis, to practice their religion to the extent that is practical and reasonable.
Procedures
Jail religious visitations are conducted on a regular scheduled basis by the Jail Chaplain or under the Chaplain’s direction. Should an inmate request a specific religious contact, every effort shall be made to meet that request as long as it is reasonable. Bibles and Korans will be supplied upon request or may be sent in from an outside source as long as they are soft covered and pass through inspection.
All requested Clergy personnel must be cleared through the Jail Administrator and Jail Chaplain and complete a Clergy Certification Application prior to visiting.
A regular scheduled professional visiting schedule will be set by the Jail Administrator around the closed hours of the Jail operations as listed in the Jail handbook. The Jail Chaplain will conduct Jail visits on a routine schedule available to the inmate population.
All Clergy visits will be non-contact visits unless prior approval is granted by a Jail Supervisor. This may exclude the Jail Chaplain and organized Bible study groups that have been set up by the Jail Administration upon approval.
No item will be given to an inmate without the approval of a Jail Supervisor and inspection of those items by Jail staff. The normal procedure is only soft covered printed religious materials will be acceptable.
All volunteers for Bible study groups will be subject to a background check and may be requested to attend an orientation meeting to clarify the rules and regulations of the facility.
Inmates may keep on their person or in their cells religious materials that are consistent with the Jail rules and do not create a risk to the safety and security of the Jail.
All requests for communion or sacraments offered by the Clergy need to be approved by a Jail Supervisor prior to the scheduled visit.