Domestic visit bookings

In South Australia, prisoners are responsible for booking all their domestic visits. These visits will either be face-to-face or over video (Zoom).

How the booking process works

DCS strongly encourages family and friends to visit their loved ones in prison. This connection supports prisoner well-being and improves communication.

As part of promoting connections with loved ones and giving prisoners more control over their daily lives, prisoners are responsible for booking their own visits. This means that prisoners must:

1. Nominate and provide a list of all their visitors with the following details on the self-service kiosk:

  • full name of the visitor
  • address of the visitor date of birth of the visitor
  • visitor’s mobile phone number
  • visitor’s email address
  • the relationship between the visitor and the prisoner

2. Communicate with their loved ones to arrange a visit that suits both parties. This includes agreeing on a date and time, and deciding whether the visit will be face-to-face or over video (Zoom).

3. Book the visit on a self-service kiosk.

4. Update any changes to visit or visitor details on the self-service kiosk.

All visitors must be approved by DCS before a visit booking can be made.

A visit cannot be booked by a prisoner if:

  • the person on the visitor list is not approved by DCS
  • the person is not on the visitor list
  • all the required visitor details are not available.

There is no limit to the number of people a prisoner can add to their visit list. Family and friends may write to the prisoner and provide the necessary information to be added to the visitor list. The prisoner can decide if they want to add them to the visitor list. Prisoners have the right to remove people from their nominated visitor list.

Children under 18 must be on the visitor list. If a visitor arrives to a visit with a child that has not been approved on the visit booking and visitor list, both the visitor and the child will not be able to enter the prison. Refer to bringing children on a visit for more information.

Who can’t visit a prisoner

Visitors cannot visit a prisoner if they:

  • are a former prisoner who has been released from prison (including on Sentenced Home Detention) within the past 12 months – unless approved by the Chief Executive
  • are a former prisoner who has completed their Home Detention Order within the past 12 months – unless approved by the Chief Executive
  • have an Intervention Order in place prohibiting contact with the prisoner
  • are a known member or associate of a criminal organisation – unless approved by the Chief Executive
  • have been restricted from visiting a prison by DCS.

If a visitor has been restricted from accessing a prison and believes this may be an error, they are advised to contact the Department and request that their case be reviewed.

How a visitor will know if a visit has been booked

Once a booking has been made by the prisoner, visitors will get an email or text message from the booking system with the visit details.

What to do if a visitor can’t attend a visit

If a visitor cannot attend a visit, they will need to cancel the visit booking by following one of these options:

Information for visitors

Before visitors attend their visit, it is recommended that they check before going to a visit for important information about entry requirements.

Visitors must bring 100 points of identification to be able to enter the prison. No ID, no entry. 

Each prison has different phone numbers and visiting times. To check the correct information for a prison, see prison locations.

Accessibility

If there are any accessibility concerns or requirements, please refer to prison locations and contact the relevant prison.

Questions and feedback

Questions and feedback are welcome. For any questions and feedback relating to visit bookings, please contact the specific prison. For any general enquiries or complaints, please email: dcsosp@sa.gov.au.