Current through September 24, 2024
1.
General
A. All requests for tours will be authorized
by the Superintendent, in consultation with the Tour Director or
designee.
B. Tours will be
scheduled in order to avoid any disruption of the normal activities of the
facility. Access to high security areas (i.e., control centers, segregation
units, armory) will be limited.
C.
All tour participants must be 14 years of age and older.
D. All tour participants will be required to
show picture identification (i.e., drivers license, school identification card,
military identification card or state identification card) and sign a Tour
Waiver of Liability form.
E. Any
tour participant who is an ex-offender of any correctional facility must
receive prior approval of the Superintendent to tour the facility.
F. MDOC employees may transport approved
individuals or groups in state vehicles.
G. Tour records will be maintained at each
facility for a minimum of one year with the following information: Name of
group and sponsor, Number of persons on tour and Time and date of
tour
2.
Facility Contraband Warnings
In accordance with each MDOC facilitys physical layout,
signs are posted at facility entrances specifying those items deemed to be
contraband by agency security and the subsequent penalty for violating said
prohibitions. The signs contain the following information:
Attention all Visitors and Vendors
At all times while on the grounds of the
Mississippi Department of Corrections, you are subject to search of your
person, vehicles, personal property, or any/all items you may have in your
possession. Guns, knives, ammunition, alcohol, drugs, weapons, or any
instrument or tool that may be used as a weapon or any other items declared by
this institution to be contraband are strictly forbidden. Contraband will be
confiscated and violators will be prosecuted.
3. All persons entering the facility will be
subject to search. All tour participants must adhere to specific rules
regarding non-allowable items. State law prohibits weapons, alcohol, drugs and
illegal contraband on state property, including parking areas.
i. The scope of searches includes persons,
vehicles, personal property and allowable items.
ii. Non-Allowable items include:
A. Guns, knives, ammunition, weapons, any
instrument that can be used as a weapon
B. Alcohol, drugs
C. No medicines unless prior
approval
D. Electronic devices
(i.e., pagers, cellular telephones or any of its components or accessories,
palm pilots, walkie-talkies, tape recorders)
E. Cameras, video cameras
F. Extra clothing
G. Any item declared by MDOC as
contraband
4.
Sponsors/Chaperones are expected to inform tour participants of Section
47-5-193 of the Mississippi Code
of 1972 that addresses contraband and the prison. Possession of contraband on
the grounds of a prison facility may result in a felony conviction.
5. MDOC will not be held responsible for
lost, stolen or damaged personal possessions that belong to tour participants
while they are on the grounds of an MDOC facility.
6.
Dress Code
Tour participants entering the institution must meet the
dress code. MDOC security staff and/or the Welcome Center Manager will check
all individuals for Security Threat Group items.
Clothing containing picture logos, slogans or vulgarity
is prohibited. Any revealing attire made of spandex, translucent or transparent
material is considered inappropriate.
i.
MalesA.
No pants pulled down below the hip line
B. All pants must be worn with
belts
C. No shorts, cut-off shorts,
jogging shorts or biking shorts
D.
No overalls or suspenders
E. All
tee-shirts must be tucked in
F. No
tank tops, sleeveless tops or bare midriffs
G. Underwear must be worn
H. Shoes must be worn. Thongs, flip-flops and
slides are not allowed
I. No blue
or red shoelaces
J. No excessive
jewelry except a wedding ring, religious medallion or medical alert
bracelet
K. No dangling earrings
stud type only
L. No hats, caps and
bandanas
ii.
Females
A. No hip-huggers, shorts, cut-off shorts,
jogging shorts or biking shorts
B.
No tights, leggings or skinny jeans
C. No mini-skirts
D. Dresses and skirts no more than 3 inches
above the knee
E. Slits on skirts
and dresses will not extend above the knee when seated
F. No tank tops, sleeveless tops or bare
midriffs
G. Underwear and bra must
be worn
H. Shoes must be worn.
Thongs, flip-flops and slides are not allowed
I. No blue or red shoelaces
J. No excessive jewelry except a wedding
ring, religious medallion or a medical alert bracelet
K. No dangling earrings stud type
only
L. No hats, caps and
bandanas
7.
Tour Guidelines
A.
Tour sponsors/chaperones are responsible for maintaining constant and accurate
accountability of their tour participants. Should a tour participant become
separated from the group, notify the Tour Director immediately.
B. Tour participants are required to conduct
themselves in a professional manner. Tour participants do not engage in
communications with prisoners, accept anything from, or give anything to a
prisoner except as may be authorized by the Tour Director.
C. The Tour Director will discuss areas which
tour participants will be permitted to observe. Due to the nature and
responsibilities of the facility, certain access and conduct restrictions are
necessary. While every effort will be made to ensure an educational and
informative tour, circumstances may arise which require itinerary
modification.
8.
Tour Waiver of Liability
A. Sponsors and/or chaperones will ensure
that each tour participant will comply with policy, procedure, other
regulations and guidelines issued by the MDOC as may be applicable to their
activities and presence on institutional grounds during the tour.
B. Each tour participant must provide a
signed Waiver of Liability before touring the facility.
C. The Waiver of Liability certifies that the
sponsors, employees, chaperones and each participant of a scheduled tour to a
facility of the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) relieves and frees
from any and all responsibility, any act of violence or misconduct on the part
of any person under the employ, care or custody of the MDOC which may occur
during the time that tour participants are on MDOC institutional
grounds.
D. MDOC employees and
persons under the care and custody of the MDOC will comply with agency policy
in the conducting of tours.
Miss. Code Ann.
§
47-5-10,
47-5-95.
