Attorney/Client Visitation Instructions

IMPORTANT NOTICE!

Effective October 16. 2023, our facility will be on lockdown and there will be no inmate movement (and therefore no attorney visitation) from 11:00 AM until 12:30 PM, as well as from 11:00 PM until 12:30 AM each day, including weekends. Our staff will utilize these hours to catch up on administrative matters, as well as personnel matters without having to engage in inmate movement and security.

It is the goal of the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office to facilitate communications, to the extent practicable, between attorney and client.

There are circumstances where a face-to-face meeting is an important component of client representation and preparation.

We are excited to resume attorney visitation inside the Norfolk City Jail beginning in February 2024. It has been quite a while since most attorneys have had the pleasure of visiting their clients face-to-face and as such, we would like to provide some pertinent information to enable a smooth interaction when arriving at our facility. We will continue to conduct video visitation by appointment in Visitation for those who choose not to enter the facility.

Attorney visitation will be available Monday-Sunday from seven (7:00) a.m. to five (5:00) p.m. Video Visitation will be available by appointment only Monday through Friday from eight (8:00) am. until four (4:00) p.m. with the last appointment by three thirty (3:30) p.m. The facility and Video Visitation will lockdown daily from eleven (11:00) a.m. until twelve thirty (12:30) p.m. No visitation will be allowed during that time and all attorneys must exit the facility during these hours.

Upon entering the facility, the attorney must provide the deputy a valid photo identification card such as a driver’s license, military ID, passport, or state-issued identification AND a valid Virginia Attorney State Bar Card in good standing. The attorney will receive a purple unescorted badge enabling them to proceed to the appropriate floor. This badge must always remain visible. In addition, during the check-in process, attorneys must provide the name (s) of all clients they intend to visit. Attorneys may not visit inmates who were not included in the initial check-in, nor can they utilize their time in the facility to solicit their services. Attorneys will arrive unaccompanied on the assigned floor where they are required to inform the post deputy of who they are there to visit. Visits between attorneys and their clients will be confidential. The deputy will then place the individual in the visitation room or in the hallway until the visit is completed. Attorneys may request a deputy escort to the post when necessary. At the conclusion of the visit, the attorney will notify the Post Deputy so the individual can be returned to his/her housing location. At no time should the attorney leave the floor without informing the deputy assigned to that post.

Professional visitors entering the facility must be screened prior to entering the facility and must agree to comply with all security measures and pat-down searches when requested. Additionally, all attorneys will be required to sign a waiver indicating they understand the facility's safety policies. These waivers will be kept on file at the Loading Dock. Below is a list of non-allowable items that cannot be brought into the facility for security reasons:

1. No weapons of any type (guns, ammunition, chemical sprays, knives, tasers, brass knuckles, etc.)
2. No cellphones, Bluetooth, headphones, any device connectable to the internet (ex: apple watches, fit bits), or pagers unless authorized.
3. No tobacco or non-tobacco products. (Cigarettes, e-cigarettes, lighters, matches, vapes, smokeless tobacco)
4. No controlled substances of any type or amount.
5. No pocketbooks (purses) are allowed; however, briefcases are permitted.
6. No grooming supplies. (Razors, toenail clippers, eyelash curlers, metal nail files, etc.)
7. No glass or metal objects in any form (cans, ceramic containers, glass bottles, eating utensils, aluminon foil, glass, or non-clear containers)

Visitors must obtain prior approval from the OIC of Corrections or their representatives to obtain permission to bring their laptops or cellphones when necessary for their representations.

Legal and Official visitors are permitted to exchange legal documents during a visit. All documents must be free from staples or paperclips. If notary services are requested for the documents, the Post Deputy will notify Classification of the request. If a notary is not immediately available, the Post Deputy will return the documents to the inmate pending notarization. The attorney and official visitor will be advised that they or their authorized agents may pick up the legal documents in the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office Administration Information area once a Norfolk Sheriff’s Office Property Release Form (Cf #071) has been obtained from the inmate.

All legal and official visitors will be appropriately attired, including the wearing of shoes. The dress code for visitors is explained in the chart attached to this policy. This chart will be posted for all visitors to see when coming to visit an inmate in the facility. If a visitor violates this dress code, they will not be allowed to visit any inmate in the facility or be allowed to enter the facility until they are appropriately dressed. There will be no shorts, spaghetti-strapped shirts, or flip-flops allowed in the facility. Please click on the image to the right to see a copy of appropriate attire.