Visiting An Inmate

Social visits are between an inmate and his or her family, friends, or associates. They are a privilege for the inmate and the visitor. Social visits are conducted remotely, via video visitation stations located in each jail and Work Center housing unit. Face-to-face visits are not available. To visit, a social visitor must schedule a visitation appointment through our third-party telephone and social visiting administrator, TELMATE. Visitation appointments are scheduled on a first come, first serve basis.

How to Visit an Inmate

Visitation appointments can be made three different ways:

1. Contact TELMATE Customer Service toll free at 866-516-0115.

2. Log-on and visit TELMATE.

3. Set up a visit on-site at the TELMATE cash kiosk, located at both the jail and Work Center

Social Visiting Limits

Inmates are limited to two (2) free social visits per week. Free social visits are conducted on-site only at the Deschutes County Work Center, located at 63360 Britta Street, Bend OR. Each free visit may last 30 minutes. Extended local visiting time (on-site) may be pre-purchased through TELMATE.

An inmate may have up to two social visitors per free visit. This number excludes one baby or toddler that sits on an adult’s lap during the visit. Visits may only occur during visiting hours, which may change at any time without notice.

Additional remote, off-site visitation is also permitted on a first come, first serve basis.  Off-site visiting requires an owner-operated webcam or similar device and is subject to further TELMATE fees and restrictions.  The number of social visitors is not limited for this type of visiting.

Social Visiting Days and Times

Social visits are conducted every day of the week, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., excluding meal hours and formal headcounts.  No visits will be made between the hours of 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.  or 4:30 p.m. –  7:00 p.m.

Visiting Control

Corrections staff will control inmate visiting. Staff may restrict who visits and visiting conditions for the safety, security, and good order of the jail, inmates, and the public. A visit may not take place during meals, “lights out,” or an inmate’s health care appointment, jail program class, or work assignment; or when safety and security are involved. Social visitors are not authorized contact visits. An inmate may refuse to visit with you.

You cannot visit on-site if you have been lodged in any correctional facility within the past 60 days or are on parole or probation. Registered sex offenders are not permitted to visit, unless authorized by a corrections command officer.  Visitation is restricted for minors and may require proof of relationship prior to approval.

Visiting Safety and Security

All video visitations are monitored, recorded, and subject to screening to automatically detect third party visits.  Certain actions are forbidden during your visits, and when detected, may result in loss of visitation privileges (including free visits), suspensions and/or a fine.

While visiting, if an inmate says or implies anything about committing suicide or doing other self harm or harm to others, or of being a victim of physical or sexual assault or knowing of another inmate who is, please contact jail staff immediately.

Visiting Rules

Corrections staff will end your current video visit, and may deny future visits, if you violate any of these visitor rules:

1. Behave in a manner that is not a threat to the safety, security, and good order of the jail and/or public.
2. Abide by all dress standards requirements.
3. Watch and control any child with you at all times. Have the child stay seated. Do not leave the child alone, or with a stranger or anyone younger than 18. Jail staff will not care for your child.
4. Go directly to and from your assigned visiting area. All other areas are off limits.
5. End your visit within the allotted time.
6. Do not be under any influence of drugs or alcohol.
7. Do not take or attempt to bring contraband into the jail or a visiting area. If you do, you are subject to arrest and prosecution under ORS 162.185. (Contraband is anything corrections staff have not authorized or issued. It includes things like weapons, drugs, cigarettes, lighters, sharp objects, and food.)
8. Do not tamper with, damage, mark, or soil jail property.
9. Abide by all TELMATE rules, regulations and procedures, including third party participation, nudity or explicit sexual behavior, threats of intimidation or harm, and/or misrepresentation of identity.

Contraband Control

No visitor may take a cell phone or electronic device into a visiting area.  A visitor with a baby may take a limited supply of baby-care items on a visit; however, he or she may not take baby strollers or carriers.

Corrections staff may ask you to empty your pockets so they can see the contents. They may also ask you to submit to a frisk search if they have reasonable suspicion you are trying to take contraband into the visiting area. You may refuse to submit to a search, but jail staff will not allow you to visit and may permanently revoke your visiting privileges.

You may not leave personal items in the waiting area while you visit. All items, with the exception of keys, must be secured in your vehicle or left at home.  The jail is not responsible for unsecured property.

Dress Standards

Because the jail houses a wide variety of antisocial personalities, corrections staff will deny you a visit if you wear sexually suggestive or inappropriate clothing. Corrections staff will consider clothing as being sexually suggestive for a jail setting if it exposes an undue amount of flesh on the chest, back, thigh, or midsection. This includes short shorts, skirts, and dresses; dresses or skirts with high slits; tank tops, halter or tube tops, or other clothing with plunging or low-cut necklines. Do not wear tight-fitting or see-through clothing or sheer and loose-weave fabrics. Corrections staff may consider the absence of undergarments as sexually suggestive.

You must wear footwear when visiting on-site. You may wear a hat or other head coverings only if it does not interfere with staff's ability to identify you readily.

Corrections staff may have you take off your coat, sweater, or similar outer layers of clothing that could conceal contraband.  You will be required to secure such items in your vehicle.

You may not have a hairstyle or wear clothing or insignias with language, symbols, or markings that indicate affiliation with a criminal gang, that contain derogatory comments or slurs directed at a class of people, or may otherwise disrupt jail order or place a person's safety at risk.