Hi, my son is in the Lawton prison. The one that is the private prison, and has 1800 inmates. I am going to visit this weekend, what should I expect? When I arrive will hiway patrols be there checking all cars as they enter to arrest anyone?
Will the police stop anyone leaving the facility just for fun?

What kind of id do i need, I have been approved as a visitor?

I live in Tulsa, and cannot afford to be caught in Lawton over something stupid.

I have seen tv stuff about harressment of visitors..

Thanks in advance,

Concharde:(

If you've already been approved as a visitor, then that means they've done the backcheck and you're good to go. Don't have alcohol or weapons or drugs in your car, and remember to roll up the windows and lock all your doors (to stop possible escaping) and you won't have any problems.

I used to visit at Lawton about a year ago and unless things have changed, here's what I remember....

They don't have highway patrols anywhere on the grounds. The COs drive around in white trucks in the parking lot but they don't stop you or pull you over. Visitor parking is on the right, staff parking is on the left. You park close to the front door, so you don't have to ride a bus or anything to get there.

You do need a valid photo ID. If it's out of date, they won't let you in. Bring your ID, 1 car key, and your opened silver change in a clear bag of some kind (ziplock baggie work great). You're allowed to wear a jacket/coat but no hats, gloves, umbrellas. You can't bring a wallet or purse in or any pictures, letters, or paper money. So leave all that in the car or put it in a locker. The lockers don't lock though so that's up to you to trust it.

You'll go in, show your ID and sign up. Then you'll sit and wait until they call your name. You'll walk through the glass door and a CO will pat you down. They used to use a drug wand scanner over your hands. If they still do, make sure you've washed you hands and not handled any money before you go in. Those scanners are touchy.

Then they'll say you're good to go, give you an assigned table number and you follow the path to the actual visiting room. When you get in there, find your table, buy some vending machine food if you want and wait on your son to get there. When he gets there, he has to sign in at the front desk and then he can come over to you. You're allowed a brief hug and kiss then he has to sit down and can't get back up until visit is over. So you'll have to buy all his snacks for him.

I think that's it. I'm in Tulsa too and we did Lawton for a year. The prison wasn't that great but when I was there, the guards were the nicest down home people I'd met. I actually still miss some of the guards...lol. They definitely won't stop you just to mess with you so there's no worries there.

I hope you have a good visit, and if you have any more questions feel free to ask :thumbsup:

I feel a lot better, this is all new to me.

I appreciate your quick and so kind answer.

Concharde:)

Only thing that is new is that they have metal dectors now and they are back to using the swab. There are quite a few new CO's but they seem okay too.

So they finally got around to getting metal detectors...lol. I couldn't believe they didn't have them but yet they had that doofy ion wand scanner :p

Concharde, glad we could help you feel better about things! This was all new to us at one time too. The first time I saw all that razor wire & heard the clanking metal doors my heart sank. But it gets a bit more normal to handle with time. And what really helped was realizing all the other visitors were the same as me. It's kind of like a small family when you see the same people each week and know you aren't alone in this.

HI,

What are the hours this weekend? I never was told.

Also, my wife is going with me. She has breast cancer, and has just finished chemo, and does not have a wig. She usually wears a hat, or a hankerchief on her head, to keep everyone from staring at her head.

Can she wear a hat or head covering?

Thanks in Advance

Concharde:o

I'm so sorry I missed this before you left.....how did the visit go? I'm sure it was hard but it gets easier to handle with time. It's never easy but you'll make it :)

I'm so sorry I missed this before you left.....how did the visit go? I'm sure it was hard but it gets easier to handle with time. It's never easy but you'll make it :)
HI,
The visit went ok, it was sad to see him for the first time in prison.

The hight point was the guard at the entrance let my wife wear a hat, as she has lost all her hair due to chemo. He was very nice, when we went past the metal detectors the next group of guards told her she had to remove the hat, and she couldn't go in with it. She told the guard that the one out front told her it would be ok..and they said go ahead. I guess the guard at the front is the boss...<thanks god for him>

We did find out we could take $20 dollars in coins per person, instead of the $10 we originally were told.

Thanks for your info, I really appreciate your time and help!

Concharde:thumbsup:

I'm so glad the guard at the front allowed her to wear her hat! One thing to keep in mind is that the same people don't always work so you may run into this problem again. But keep in mind, there is always a warden on duty and if needed, you could always ask the guards to please call and ask for permission for her.

Also, you may be able to call and get permanent special permission from the warden ahead of time. If you want to try that route, just call up there and ask to speak to the warden's secretary. If they ever give you grief in the future, it's worth a shot.

And yes, it is very hard seeing your loved one in there and not being able to take them home with you. That part still gets me every time but you learn to deal and enjoy every minute you do get with them :o

I can't believe they are still telling the $10 in coins amount?!?! They did that to me too.....3 years ago!! It was a couple months of visiting before I learned I could bring in $20 from the check-in guards. That sure made things a lot easier...lol.

I'm happy that all things considered, it went well for you all. I know just seeing him helps and soon you'll be able to really look forward to your visits. Best wishes to you all!

Hello, I have been reading your thread on the visitation. All of the information is so wonderful. I found out Friday night that my best friend has been moved to the Lawton Correctional Facility Wackenhut. Is this the same facility you are talking about ? I would love to hear anything about this place. We had no idea that he was going to be moved. So I have been in shock since I found out.
Thank You.
Ladyhart

Lawton Correctional Facility was owned by Wackenhut, but GEO owns it now and it is just called Lawton Correctional Facility or LCF. My experiences at LCF are completely different from what I have read here. I know others who feel as I do that this facility is the most violent and most politically corrupt prison in the system. Nothing and I mean nothing healthy or good happens to the men at this facility. One of the judges in Commanche County has turned the facility over to the Attorney General's office and the Attorney General has turned all the information over to a multi-county grand jury investigation. If you want to help call Judge McCall and tell his secretary's your stories. If you have documentation send it to them. They are very nice and they will listen. They can't help or do anything, but they will forward your info on to the Attorney General. Sorry. Our life is one continuous nightmare at LCF. I just pray they do not kill my husband before we can get out of there. So much for my thoughts and opinions. Later. HUGS

Hi, How did your visit go? My husband used to be there at Lawton for about 5 years before going to James Crabtree in July 2003. Hope ypu had a good visit. I live in Catoosa not to far from you. Carol.

While I worried about my husband a great deal while he was in LCF, my experience with visitation was always good. The guards were always very nice to me and to my children. Visitation was always calm and pretty easy to deal with. I thought the facility was clean and well maintained. It is a violent prison. I worried a lot. There is a lot of gang activity. My husband was not in PC, so we didn't have the same experiences that Ronnies Girl had, but there were some violent episodes that my husband told me about that were denied by LCF to the media. I know there is corruption and my understanding from my husband was that it is one of the 4 worst in the state (McAlester, Granite medium security, Conner in Hominy, and LCF). But I think Cimmaron is ranking up there too lately. So, as far as visitation goes, I can only hope that it's as comfortable where he is now as it was there.