Hi there,
I was wondering if anyone has had a family visit at Avenal?? My husband is getting transferred there and I just wanted some idea of what to expect.

Also, has anyone visited anyone there??? Just regualar visiting, I visit my husband at Pleasant Valley right now. Any information would be helpful, thanks!



" Live by what you trust, not by what you fear" Anonymous

well family visits are about the same, your hubby has to purchase everything through the canteen though. So he will have to have money on his books in order to do so. your loved one will inspect it prior to make sure it's clean and all, then he will be there waiting for you when they clear you to go in. you aren't allowed to bring in a lot of stuff, probably about the same as PVSP.
Regular visiting well it's a hurry up and wait type thing. If you get through for an appointment you line up outside visiting around 7:55am and hope they start at 8am which they never do it's usually 8:05am if the people working visiting are the regulars. if not could be a little later than that.
then clear everything there and wait again. depending on what yard he goes to. yards 3 & 4 usually are called first as you can walk to those, other yards you ride the van to.
You might get more answers if you read the thread All things Avenal under subtitle section Other Prisons

Avenal Family visits ar scheduled every 3 mos. he orders the food, you have a specific list of things you can bring with you, the faciliy has 2 bedrooms, kitchen. living room and bathroom, they provide you with blanckets and towels. The balckets are very thin, they do have a heater, there is a TV with about 6 channels if that, a AM/FM radio that sometimes the FM works. Check in is at 12:30pm and if they are on time you will with you husband by 1ish. Check out is around 9:30am on the 3rd day, sometimes they take a while to come get you for check out so expect to be out by 10:30am. For regular visits they have appointments, if you get an appointment then you will have less waiting to do, if you don't have an appointment you will have do some waiting they start processing non appointments at 10am, so make sure your are there early to get a number if you don't have an appointment. Once you are processed you still have to wait till they bring you loved one out and that sometimes takes up 45 min. they have vending machines, make sure you bring $1.00 and change ahead of time sometimes the change machines there don't work or they run out of change. You get picture duquets when you are finally called in to be precessed, the duquet machine is right next to the change machine they cost $2.00 each.
Hope this helps, good luck...

Thank you!!! All your replies are appreciated! We just had our first family visit at PVSP and it was pretty good considering. I know at PVSP I cannot get an appointment because I am in Canada and it just does not happen trying to get through, the line is CONSTANTLY busy. I usually line up outside the prison at 3:45am to get a number....it is pure crazinesss