If you wish to visit an inmate, you are strongly encouraged to schedule your visit at least 24 hours in advance of the day you wish to visit, to facilitate visits and reduce waiting times. You may call the Jail Receptionist at 349-3346 between 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, to schedule a visit. You may schedule a visit several days in advance, but you may schedule only ONE visit at a time.

An inmate shall be permitted one (1) visit, with a maximum of two (2) visitors, per regularly scheduled visiting day. Exceptions to this rule, due to extenuating circumstances, may be granted by the Correction Administrator.

All scheduled visitors must sign in with the Jail Receptionist at least 10 minutes prior to the scheduled visiting time. If you are not signed in by this time, your visit will be cancelled and others may be allowed to fiill the vacancy.

Proper identification must be presented each time you visit an inmate. The only acceptable types of identification are:

• Valid state driver's license,
• Non-driver's identification card,
• Military I.D.,
• Any authorized picture I.D. issued by a government agency (local, state, federal).
• Children under the age of 12 must present an original birth certificate,
• Children over 12 years of age must present a picture I.D. with their birth date.

NO ONE under the age of 16 will be permitted into visit unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Visitors between the ages of 16 and 18, providing a picture I.D., must have a Juvenile Permission to Visit form signed by a parent/legal guardian in the presence of a Correction Officer or Jail Receptionist.

Forms can also be filled out at home and NOTARIZED before a Notary Public. Juvenile Permission to Visit Forms may be obtained from the Jail Receptionist or click to download a Juvenile Permission to Visit Form.

A visit will NOT be allowed until the paperwork has been properly completed.

Visitors appearing in inappropriate attire will NOT be admitted into the facility visiting area.

The following are examples of unacceptable items of clothing:

• See-through clothing
• Bare midriffs or backs
• Plunging necklines
• Hooded sweatshirts or coats
• Bulky suits, shirts and/or pants
• Halter or Tube tops
• Tank-tops
• Hats or Do-rags
• Short-shorts or Athletic shorts
• Bare feet
• Excessive metal adornments
• Shower or beach shoes

These are examples of inappropriate clothing. If in doubt, you should not wear a questionable item of clothing.

If you are unable to successfully clear the metal detectors, both the walk-thru and/or hand-wand without them activating, you may be denied access to the visiting area.

The staff member and Visiting Officer have the final determination. If they feel you are dressed inappropriately or deny you access to the visiting area for any reason, their determination is final.

NO personal property may be brought into the Visiting Area. All coats, jackets, sweaters, hats, pocketbooks, cigarettes, lighters, keys, sharp objects, knives, pens, pencils, etc. MUST be placed into a locker.

Lockers are provided by the facility for you to secure your personal belongings at no cost. If you fail to secure the required items, you will be denied access to the Visiting Area. You will receive a token (in exchange for your picture I.D.) from the Jail Receptionist for the locker at the time you sign in for your visit. Your I.D. will be returned when your visit is completed, you have returned the token, and are ready to leave the area.

You will be required to pass through a metal detection device before entering the Visiting Waiting Area. If you refuse to do so, you will be denied access to visiting. If you set off the metal detector, you will be asked to check your pockets for any item that may have set off the alarm and pass through again. If you set off the alarm a second time, you will be searched with a hand held metal detector and you may be subject to a pat frisk. If you refuse you will be denied access to the facility.

A list of Visiting Rules and Regulations are posted in the Visiting Room as well as in the Visitation Waiting Room. It is your responsibility to read and follow each of these rules and regulations. PLEASE READ THEM CAREFULLY. ANY violation could result in the immediate termination of the visit, and/or your being denied further access to the facility.

Visiting rules and regulations are:

1. NO profanity,
2. NO yelling or loud conversations - respect other people's privacy,
3. NO visiting between groups,
4. NO items will be brought into the visiting area,
5. NO items will be passed between individuals,
6. Once you are seated, you MUST stay seated until your visit is finished,
7. If you leave the visiting area for any reason, the visit is terminated,
8. Any action that is a violation of the facility rules and regulations is prohibited,
9. A BRIEF kiss will be allowed at the beginning and end of visiting.

Initial Visits

Each inmate is allowed two visitors at each scheduled visit, with one exception, that being a child under the age of 18 months. Each initial visit is a "Non-Contact" lasting 15 minutes in duration. Two people are allowed to visit with the inmate during an initial visit. The purpose of this visit is to allow the inmate an opportunity to make arrangements for bail or to get his/her personal affairs in order.

Inmate Visiting

• Contact Visits: General Population/Intake/SHU/Dormitory:
  Wednesday - Sunday
  8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.,
  10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.,
  12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.,
  2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• Non-Contact Visits: Maximum Security:
  Wednesday and Saturday
  8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.

Each inmate is allowed an "Inmate Commissary Account." This account may be used by the inmate to purchase items from the facility commissary. An in-house commissary is maintained by the Sheriff's Department to offer the inmate population an avenue to obtain various personal hygiene items, stationery, envelopes and stamps, pens and pencils, and food items.

• Deposits may only be made into the inmate commissary account between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the jail receptionist. ONLY cash, certified bank check or money orders will be accepted, (NO personal or third-party checks will be accepted).
• The inmate commissary account may also be utilized for an inmate to post their own bail.

Additional inquiries may be made by calling (315) 349-3300.

The address to write to an inmate at the Oswego County Correctional Facility is:

Newspapers / Periodicals:

Only certain forms of printed material will be allowed into the Correctional Facility. Any material which constitutes a threat to the safety, security or good order of the facility will be censored, as determined by the Chief Administrative Officer. To insure a safe/secure environment, certain limitations may be placed on the amount of material allowed to be in each inmate's possession.

• Newspapers: Inmates wishing to receive a newspaper may only do so through subscription. The subscription must be pre-paid, and ordered for the inmate through the specific newspaper, and addressed to the inmate at the Correctional Facility.
• Magazines: Magazines will only be accepted through the mail. These may be mailed by family and/or friends or through a subscription.
• Personal Items: Each inmate is supplied with an appropriate issue of clothing and linens during their incarceration. Because of this, only one (1) set of personal clothing will be retained at the facility for use upon their release. All other items will either be mailed out at the inmate's expense, allowed to be picked up within 30 days of transfer to another facility by an individual chosen by the inmate, or destroyed.

Telephones are available to all inmates who are not in disciplinary segregation for personal calls. The telephones are activated after morning clean-up and turned off at either 10:00 p.m. or 11:00 p.m. depending on the inmate's classification status. All personal telephone calls are COLLECT.

Only EMERGENCY messages (to be determined by the On-Duty Supervisor) will be passed on to an inmate. We CAN NOT deliver messages to inmates. Addresses and phone numbers can be exchanged VERBALLY at a scheduled visit, sent in through the mail to the inmate, or given over the phone to the inmate.