Our Atlantic City criminal defense attorneys have compiled this article as a helpful resource for the loved ones and family members of inmates at Atlantic County Jail, which is also known as the Gerard L. Gormley Justice Facility. It explains the jail’s visitation hours, time limits on visit sessions, visitation ID requirements, and other important information for visitors. If your loved one was recently arrested and is being detained while awaiting trial, you might also be interested in reading our article about how to bail someone out of the Atlantic County Jail.
Visitor Policies: ID Requirements, Time Limits, and Other Rules
Like all correctional facilities, the Atlantic County Jail follows very strict rules when it comes to visitation. It’s important for visitors to follow these rules carefully; otherwise, you could be asked to leave or have your visit cancelled. Before we go over the visiting schedule, it’s important to cover the ground rules.
If you intend to visit an inmate, you’ll need to bring proper identification with you. Acceptable forms of ID include government-issued photo IDs, such as a passport or driver’s license. Non-government IDs, such as work and school IDs, are not acceptable. Welfare ID cards are also not acceptable.
You are also required to register for your visit in advance. All visitors are required to register no later than 45 minutes before the end of visiting hours (which are listed in the next section).
Visit sessions are capped at a maximum length of 30 minutes each. However, visits may be shortened if there is an exceptionally high number of visitors that day.
Inmates may see up to two adult visitors per visit. Additionally, adult visitors may bring up to two children/minors per visit (and will be expected to keep a close watch on them).
Generally speaking, you may visit your loved one up to once a week. However, additional visitation may be possible if you are able to obtain special permission from the Warden in advance.
Each inmate may have up to two visiting sessions per day; so, for instance, if you were to visit an inmate in the morning or afternoon, a different person could then come and visit them a few hours later (visitation schedule permitting). Once again, keep in mind that individual visitors may see an inmate only once per week absent special permission from the Warden.
You absolutely may not, under any circumstances, exchange any physical items with an inmate during your visit. That means no bringing cookies, photographs, or any other comfort items. Attempting to give or receive an object from an inmate will merely cause your visit to be terminated.
If you want to help keep your loved one more comfortable – without breaking any of the jail’s rules – the correct way to go about it is to add funds to his or her commissary account. The commissary functions like a convenience store, selling items like writing supplies, snacks, and hair products. There are two ways to add money to an inmate’s commissary account:
- Make a cash deposit in person at the jail, which is located at 5060 Atlantic Avenue in Mays Landing, NJ 08330.
- Send a money order to the jail via mail. Be sure to include the inmate’s first name, last name, and county ID number. The mailing address is the same as the physical address.
Atlantic County Jail Visiting Schedule
The Atlantic County jail is located at the address listed above.
Inmates are on different visitation timetables depending on whether they are classified as high security inmates or are part of the general population. Visiting hours for each group are listed below.
- High Security Inmates
- Saturday – 9:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M.
- Sunday – 9:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M.
Doors open at 8:45 A.M. on Saturdays and Sundays for visits with high security inmates.
- General Population
- Saturday – 10:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M.
- Sunday – 10:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M.
Visitors to general population inmates are requested to sign in no later than 9:45 A.M.
- Holiday Hours (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s)
- High Security Inmates – 8:00 A.M. to 9:00 A.M.
- General Population – 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.
If you have any questions about visitation hours, visitor policies, driving directions, or other matters, you can contact the jail by calling (609) 645-5855. You can also fax (609) 909-7600.
If one of your family members is incarcerated at the Atlantic County Jail, call our Atlantic City appeals attorneys at (609) 616-4956 for a free and confidential legal consultation. Depending on the circumstances, it may be possible to appeal, or challenge, your loved one’s conviction. At the Law Offices of John J. Zarych, our legal team has over 45 years of experience representing clients throughout Atlantic County. Se habla español.
