Attorney Visits

ATTORNEY/LEGAL VISITS ARE AVAILABLE SEVEN (7) DAYS A WEEK
FROM 8:00 AM TO 8:00 PM IN ALL DOC FACILITIES. THE LAST VISIT SHALL COMMENCE AT 7:00 PM.

HOW TO VISIT MY CLIENT?

Attorney visits are currently available on a first-come, first-served basis. Your visit should begin within 45 minutes of your registration at the Samuel L. Perry Building OR within 30 minutes of registration at the facility front entrance if you are visiting a borough facility, or conducting more than one visit on Rikers Island. If your visit does not begin within these timeframes, notify the visit officer. If your concerns are not being addressed, you may speak with the area supervisor. If you wish to file a formal complaint about delays in the attorney visit process, you may contact the Office of Constituent and Grievance Services at 718-546-1500 during normal business hours or via email at Constituentservices@doc.nyc.gov.

NOTE: ATTORNEY VISITS SHALL NOT BE INITIATED DURING THE AFTERNOON COUNT WHICH OCCURS AT OR ABOUT 3:00 PM

CAN I SCHEDULE A VISIT WITH MY CLIENT IN PERSON?

Yes. On April 13th, the department launched a pilot to allow attorneys representing persons in our care and/or legal professionals the option to schedule an in-person visit. The scheduling link is only for attorneys, para-legals, or professionals affiliated with a legal organization. It is not for family visits. Currently, the scheduling system is only available for facilities on Rikers Island. We will explore expansion in the coming months. To schedule an in-person visit with your client, please click on the link below.

SCHEDULING VISITS (Attorneys or Legal Professionals Only)

Visit Scheduler

Attorneys are permitted to schedule visits up to forty-eight hours in advance.  Visits may be scheduled in one-hour blocks for a maximum of two hours. If the space is not needed for another scheduled visit, the visit may extend beyond the two hours.

A scheduled Attorney Visit shall take priority over an unscheduled Attorney Visit. Upon arrival of an attorney with a scheduled visit, the counsel visit officer is authorized to suspend any unscheduled visits (Attorney for an unscheduled visit should be advised that his visit might be suspended) should the space be needed to accommodate the scheduled visit. The unscheduled visit can resume when space is available. Attorney visits shall take precedence over other visits that may take place in the attorney visit areas. If there is an intervening holiday or weekend, please email the day before the holiday or weekend. Should you have any questions or feedback, please email VisitsAppointments@doc.nyc.gov.

CAN I BRING MY LAPTOP? 

Yes. Properly credentialed attorneys may bring laptops into DOC facilities for the purpose of sharing electronic discovery items with their client(s). Laptops may be subject to search at any time during the attorney visit process. No records or files on the laptop are to be accessed or viewed by the department staff during the search. Persons in our care may view materials on the laptop, but may not be in possession of or access the laptop.  

NOTICE REGARDING ATTORNEY VISITS AT THE RMSC ENHANCED SUPERVISION HOUSING (“RESH”)

The following outlines the steps involved for attorneys visiting persons incarcerated in RESH:

1. Attorneys / Attorney staff will enter Rikers Island through the Samuel L. Perry Building.
2. Attorneys / Attorney staff will be transported from the Samuel L. Perry building to the Rose M. Singer Center (“RSMC”) front entrance.
3. Attorneys / Attorney staff will be processed for their RESH visit at RMSC.
4. Once processing is complete, a DOC transport vehicle will transport Attorneys / Attorney staff from RMSC to RESH.
5. Attorneys / Attorney staff will arrive at RESH family visits area and pass through security.
6. On Wednesday and Thursday, from 1:30 PM to 9:30 PM, and on Saturday and Sunday, from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM, Attorneys / Attorney staff will wait in the RESH family visit waiting area until the time of their visit.
7. At all other times, Attorneys / Attorney staff will wait in the RESH attorney visit waiting area until the time of their visit.
8. Upon conclusion of the visit, Attorneys / Attorney staff leave through the family visit waiting area.
9. Attorneys / Attorney staff are transported back to Samuel L. Perry Building via DOC transport.

To contact DOC, please refer to Contact Department of Correction (nyc.gov)