Contact visits
In addition to box visits, prisons have a contact visit program. These are allowed under section 38 of the Corrections Act 1986 (Vic).
According to section 38, if you are eligible for the contact visit program, the prison must tell you and explain what is available.
Contact visits happen in a room with no barrier between you and your visitor/s. Physical contact is allowed between you and your visitor/s. Contact visits are supervised by prison officers, who may give rules and directions about when you can have physical contact, for example only at the start or end of a visit.
Clothing worn by visitors at contact visits
Visitors might be refused entry into a contact visit if they are wearing certain types of clothing or shoes (for example, revealing clothes or open-toe shoes). Visitors planning to attend contact visits should call the prison and find out what types of clothing and shoes won’t be allowed.
Phones are never allowed in visits. Visitors should plan to leave smart watches or other electronic devices they usually have on them somewhere safe while visiting a prison.
Food during visits
Visitors should check with the prison about any rules relating to food and vending machines in the prison visits centre.
Eligibility for the contact visit program
Corrections Victoria has a list of situations where a person in prison won’t be allowed in the contact visit program. They are in part 3.04 of the Deputy Commissioner’s Instructions. This table shows each situation and how long it will take to be allowed contact visits again.
| Reason for not being allowed contact visits | When you will be allowed contact visits again |
| Charged or found guilty of a prison offence during a contact visit | After disciplinary hearing or once it’s been 21 days since you got charged |
| Found guilty of a prison offence in a disciplinary hearing that did not happen during a contact visit, where you got a fine or loss of privilege | 14 days for each prison offence, with a maximum of 30 days |
| Found guilty of a prison offence that did not happen during a contact visit, and got a reprimand at a disciplinary hearing | Up to the General Manager – maximum of 14 days for each prison offence, or 30 days total |
| Serving a sentence for bringing drugs into a prison | After 12 months, but only if the Deputy Commissioner of Custodial Operations says there are exceptional circumstances |
| Found guilty of bringing drugs into prison while serving a sentence | After 12 months, but only if the Deputy Commissioner of Custodial Operations says there are exceptional circumstances |
| Found guilty or have been accused of committing a prison offence that’s about drugs or alcohol | 2 months unless the charges are dropped or you are given a smaller ban from contact visits in your disciplinary hearing |
Important: If you are removed from the contact visit program, you are still entitled to at least one 30-minute non-contact visits per week (box or video visits).