If one of your loved ones has recently been incarcerated at the Salt Lake County Jail in Utah, you’re probably anxious to pay them a visit. However, it’s very important to follow the jail’s strict visiting timetables and visitor policies. If you break the rules, you could be asked to leave the premises, and won’t be able to see your loved one. To help friends and family members avoid visitation mishaps, we’ve compiled this guide to the SLC Jail’s visiting hours and rules for visitors. You can also find more information in our Guide to Salt Lake County Jail from our Utah criminal defense attorneys.
SLC Jail Visiting Hours by Pod and Day of the Week
In order to understand Salt Lake County Jail visiting hours, you first have to understand how the jail’s “Pod” system works.
Inmates aren’t housed in a single, giant space. Instead, they’re assigned to various Pods of the jail.
There are four Pods in total, all labeled alphabetically: Pod A, Pod B, Pod C, and Pod D. All Pods are divided into eight subsections, except for Pod D, which is larger and structured differently than the others.
The reason this is important is because Pods determine visiting hours, as follows:
- Monday
- Pod A – CLOSED
- Pod B – 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. (Medium Security)
- Pod C – 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M.
- Pod D – CLOSED
- Tuesday
- Pod A – 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M.
- Pod B – 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. (Minimum Security)
- Pod C – CLOSED
- Pod D – CLOSED
- Wednesday
- Pod A – CLOSED
- Pod B – 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. (Minimum Security)
- Pod C – CLOSED
- Pod D – 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M.
- Thursday
- Pod A – 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M.
- Pod B – CLOSED
- Pod C – CLOSED
- Pod D – CLOSED
- Friday
- Pod A – CLOSED
- Pod B – 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. (Maximum Security)
- Pod C – CLOSED
- Pod D – CLOSED
- Saturday
- Pod A – CLOSED
- Pod B – 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. (Medium Security)
- Pod C – 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M.
- Pod D – CLOSED
- Sunday
- Pod A – CLOSED
- Pod B – 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. (Maximum Security)
- Pod C – CLOSED
- Pod D – 9:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M.
Even though the jail lists visiting hours as 9:00 A.M. through 9:00 P.M., meal times are still off limits. You cannot visit during lunch hours (11:00 A.M. through 12:30 P.M.) or dinner hours (4:00 P.M. to 5:30 P.M.).
Regardless of when you intend to visit, you should always arrive at least 45 minutes early. This will give jail personnel time to screen you and direct you to where you need to go.
Rules for Visitors to the Salt Lake County Jail
Knowing when to arrive is only half the story – you also have to know how to behave (and what is prohibited) once you get there. The jail’s rules for visitors can be strict, but as long as you obey all visitation policies, you and your loved one should have a smooth visit without any problems.
When making your visitation plans, the first thing to keep in mind is the total number of visits inmates are allowed. Inmates can only have one visit per day and up to two visits per week, so be sure to coordinate your plans with family members and others who intend to make visits. Visitors will be turned away if the maximum number of daily or weekly allotted visits is exceeded.
Inmates also cannot accept visitors while they’re on work duty in the kitchen or other parts of the jail.
Inmates are personally responsible for telling their loved ones about their work hours.
You should also have some form of government photo identification on your person when you make your visit. This could include your driver’s license, your state ID card, or your U.S. passport. Note that school and work ID cards will not be accepted. The ID must be issued by the state or federal government.
Unfortunately, you cannot simply drop in for a visit on a whim. You must schedule your visit ahead of time, which can be done up to seven days in advance. You cannot make same-day reservations. The latest possible time to make a reservation is 11:00 P.M. the day before the visit. To schedule a visit, you can either:
- Go to the jail in person if you live nearby. The person at the Visiting Counter will help you.
- Call (385) 468-8400.
Of course, you also need to know where to go! The Salt Lake County Jail is located at:
3415 South 900 West
Salt Lake City, UT 84119
What to Expect When Visiting Salt Lake County Jail
If you have never visited a jail or prison before, it can be very intimidating. The first thing to expect is heavy security. Obviously, the jail does not want anyone getting out, but they also do not want people bringing anything in. Make sure to follow all of the rules mentioned above, as well as any signs posted in the jail. Be prepared to go through metal detectors and searches as part of your entry.
You will not be permitted to visit the actual jail cell as part of your inmate visit. You will likely not be permitted into any of the living areas, recreational areas, or cafeteria. Your visit should be limited to the visiting area, but this might still be a small, heavily-secured area.
You should also expect to be monitored during the entirety of your visit. The jail is not able, for visitor and inmate safety, to allow you and your friend or loved one to have much privacy during the jail visit. You should expect that an officer will be nearby in case of emergency. Similarly, you probably will not be allowed much physical contact. If your visit is face-to-face, physical contact may be limited for inmate and visitor safety. If you are bringing small children to a visit, be sure to explain this to them.
Do not expect to bring a large group to visit. Because of the available space in the visiting areas, the number of visitors is limited. At the Metro campus, three visitors are allowed at once, and at Oxbow, only two are allowed at once. These numbers may not allow for any exceptions, even for small children, so be prepared to follow these limits.
During the entirety of your visit, keep in mind that you are still visiting a secure location. If there is an emergency lockdown, be prepared to be evacuated from the jail by jail staff, or to be temporarily kept from leaving the room.
How Long Will My Loved One Be In Jail?
Jail is used for two purposes: detaining people while they are awaiting trial; and detaining people who have been convicted of a crime, but will serve less than a year. Depending on population, jails may also be used for other individuals who have already been convicted.
If your friend or loved one is in jail awaiting trial, they may not have to stay for long. Usually, soon after someone is arrested and charged with a crime, there is some formal determination of bail. Bail can be set a few different ways, each of which has a different impact on whether or not the defendant is allowed to go home:
- Release on Recognizance (or “ROR”): This means the defendant will not be sent to jail before a conviction and is responsible for bringing his or herself to all further court hearings.
- Cash Bail: This means that the defendant is released from custody or jail as soon as they pay a certain amount of cash, used to ensure they arrive at further court hearings or else they lose the money.
- Percent Bail: This means that the defendant must pay a certain amount of money if they fail to appear in court, but in order to be released from custody, the defendant only needs to pay a percentage of that bail. For instance, bail of “$1,000, 10%” means that the defendant pays 10% of $1,000 (which is $100) to be released. If the defendant fails to appear at court, the defendant must pay the court the other $900 of that $1,000.
- Bail Denied: This means that the court has found that the defendant is unlikely to appear at court or is too dangerous to be released. If this happens, the defendant must stay in jail until trial is over.
If your loved one is awarded bail, they will be allowed to go home, usually on the same day. If your loved one cannot afford bail, then they will have to stay in jail until they can afford bail. If bail is denied, then your loved one will not be able to leave jail until the trial is over.
Keep in mind, though, that there may be ways your loved one’s lawyer may be able to get bail reduced. This may involve participating in rehabilitation programs or counseling.
If your loved one is in jail because of a criminal conviction, they will not be allowed to leave until they have served their sentence. There may be options for your loved one to get a sentence reduced, which a lawyer can go over with them.
If your loved one is incarcerated at the Salt Lake County Jail, the Summit County Utah Jail, or the Utah County Jail, they may be able to shorten their sentence if they qualify for a 402 sentence reduction. As a Salt Lake City criminal defense lawyer with more than 15 years of experience, Darwin Overson is thoroughly prepared to help misdemeanor and felony offenders in Utah challenge their convictions and seek relief through the criminal appeals process.
To set up your free and confidential case evaluation, call Darwin right away at (801) 758-2287.
