Department of Justice

Whitehorse Correctional Centre Visiting Hours

In order to maintain community and family contacts and to promote healthy relationships, the Whitehorse Correctional Centre will encourage visiting between inmates and their families and friends.

What are the visiting hours?

  • Visiting hours for the sentenced inmate population will be held between 1 - 3 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays. Visits for those inmates sentenced to federal sentences will be held at the same time as remand inmates.
  • Visiting hours for remand inmates will be between 7 - 9 p.m. on Saturdays through to Thursdays and statutory holidays, by appointment. Appointments can be made by calling the Centre after 5 p.m. during business days. Inmates will be granted a one-hour visit in the two-hour block unless otherwise directed by the Senior Corrections Officer. Visiting for remand serving inmates will be done over glass.

Definitions

"Special Visit" means any visit between an inmate and family members held outside of regularly scheduled visiting times. Special visits must be made by appointment in advance with the Senior Corrections Officer on duty. The Senior Corrections Officer will approve the special visit based on operational requirements taking into consideration where the visitors have come from and the reason for the visit.

"Interview" means a meeting between the inmate and lawyer(s), spiritual advisor, volunteer or professional counsellor, Corrections Inspector and others acting in an official capacity.

"Immediate family" means grandparents, parents, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, husbands, wives, or any other family relationship established by the inmate and recognized by the Senior Corrections Officer on duty.

How do I arrange to visit an inmate?

  1. Each inmate is required to submit a list of family members or other persons they wish to visit on a regular basis. The family member list may be revised or amended once per month by the inmate. The non-family list may be revised once every six months. This list will include full names, dates of birth and addresses.
  2. Prospective visitors must submit a Visitors Application form. Only this document in its original form will be processed for visiting privileges; no other reproduction or facsimile will be accepted in its place. However, consideration will be given to persons who live in the communities who may only be in Whitehorse on short notice. These visitors may be cleared for open visits subject to a satisfactory clearance by the Superintendent or designate, and only if the visit will contribute to the rehabilitation of the inmate.
  3. Using the information on the Visitors' Application form, each visitor will be screened for security clearance before he/she will be placed on the inmate's visiting list.
  4. To make an appointment to visit a remand inmate, visitors should call the Centre after 5 p.m. on business days. No appointment is necessary to visit regular sentenced inmates. Visitors will be asked to produce proper identification, e.g. driver license, or photo identification that clearly identifies them, if they cannot be identified by staff. Visitors must be on the inmate's approved visiting list before they may visit.
  5. Visitors may be asked to submit to a search as per the Whitehorse Correctional Centre Policy and Procedures. Failure to submit to a search will result in the visit being terminated.
  6. With the exception of relatives, no visitor shall be permitted to visit more than one inmate, or have their name added to more than one inmate's visiting list. Offenders or ex-offenders shall not be allowed to visit an inmate unless the Superintendent has approved them. The only exception would be ex-offenders who are related to the offender, e.g. brother/ sister, mother/ father.

Rules for Visiting

  1. Visits involving private business or professional counsel may be granted during normal office hours or at other pre-arranged times. Inmates have the right to visit with their lawyer, for the purposes of legal counselling at any time during normal office hours, or at a pre-arranged time convenient to the lawyer and the Correctional Centre. Lawyers may have open visits unless directed otherwise by the lawyer or unless the safety and security of the Centre or any individual is in jeopardy.
  2. No visiting will be allowed in the living units, with one exception – the Medical dorm – which requires the approval of the Superintendent or Assistant Superintendent.
  3. Normally, intermittent inmates will not receive personal visits on weekends except in emergency situations as approved by the Senior Corrections Officer on duty.
  4. Special visits for inmates awaiting transfer to the Federal system will be promoted. It is important that we consider the difficulty for Yukon families to visit inmates once they have been transferred to the Federal system.
  5. The Superintendent or delegate may suspend or cancel visiting privileges of any visitor for the following reasons:
    • Persons with outstanding charges or outstanding warrants shall not be permitted visiting privileges, which may include restrictions, e.g. having a no-contact order, being co-accused in a criminal investigation;
    • Persons who may be under investigation or suspected to be actively involved in drug activity within the Yukon;
    • Persons who are under the influence of an intoxicant, e.g. alcohol, non-prescription drugs;
    • Persons who have been found in possession of contraband while visiting an inmate of the Whitehorse Correctional Centre;
    • Persons who may not have a positive influence on the rehabilitation of the inmate or who may be a concern to the security of the Centre;
    • Excessive or disruptive physical contact between visitor and inmate;
    • Loud or unruly behaviour;
    • Groundless or excessive complaining;
    • Disrespectful or abusive language to any Correctional staff member; and/or
    • Persons who, in any way, offend against the good order and discipline of the Centre.
  6. Any visitor or inmate who is found in possession of drugs or dangerous contraband as a result of a visit shall be dealt with accordingly, and the visitor shall be barred from the Centre for a period of time determined by the Superintendent.
  7. The Superintendent or delegate may refuse or deny entry of visitors to the Centre for, but not limited to, the following reasons:
    • security reasons;
    • presenting under the influence of drugs or alcohol;
    • disruptive conduct;
    • insufficient identification;
    • refusing a search; and/ or
    • the inmate refuses to see the visitor.
  8. Any visitor who has been denied visiting privileges or is barred from entering the Centre shall be provided written reasons for the same. The written notification will identify the period of time that the visitor will be denied access to the Centre and will state that he/she has the right to appeal the decision to the Superintendent.
  9. Children must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian (legal proof of age may be requested). Visitors bringing children into the Centre will be expected to exercise such control that ensures they are not creating a disturbance or annoying other visitors.