i just found out that my love got transfered to DVI tracy from san quentin and i just had a couple of questions. anyone know:

- what's it like there?

- are there any different policies about mail?

- what the visits are like there?

- are the rules for visiting any different from san quentin's?

- do i still send money the same way meaning in a letter addressed to him ( and they'll take the money order out of the letter)?

- and is there anything else i should know that would be helpful?

thanks :wave:

AT RECEPTION AT DVI HE FIRST TOOK ABOUT 18 DAYS TO GET HIS MAIL. IF HIS IN RECEPTION AND NOT MAINLINE THERE VISITS ARE BEHIND GLASS. I REC'D MAIL BACK FOR SPRAYING PERFUME ON HIS LETTERS, IT SIAD NO PERFUME. NO LIPSTICK, NO STICKERS. WHEN I SENT MONEY I SENT IT P.O. BOX 20 TRACY, CALIF 95378. THEY SAID IT GOT THERE FASTER IF YOU SENT IT TO THAT P.O. BOX. SEND THE MONEY ORDER ALONE BECUZ THE PRSION SAID A LETTER IN IT WILL SLOW IT DOWN. I NEVER VISITED BECUZ I AM IN OREGON. HOPE THIS HELPS

CAROL

thanks carol, that really does help. but where did you get that other p.o. box from?

i called the prison to ask about sending money orders and was told by the acounting office that it would get there faster at that box# in a envelope alone no letter, and it really did

carol

I don't know about SQ so I can't give you a comparison.
My son is in DVI reception so I can tell you about that.
Carol covered the mail and the money, so I will touch on the rest.

Visits in reception are behind glass for one hour and you have to call between 8-10 am exactly 2 days before to make a reservation for visiting. Not 3 days before or one day before. Start calling at 0800 cuz the line is always busy.

It's only a couple of minutes off the I-5 south of Stockton with a little tiny sign that simply says "Deuel" when you are just sure you have gone too far and missed the exit and are headed off into nowhereland with the next sign of civilization a hundred miles down the road. :)

Getting into the prison isn't a problem like I read for some here, where they wait in cars in line for hours to go through a gate or something. At DVI, you just drive into the parking lot and there are signs that tell you where to park. You just walk up to the main entrance building (can't miss it) and fill out 2 pices of paper and hand them to the guy behind the glass (when he is ready to acknowledge you) along with your authorization to visit. And then sit down and wait...and wait....and wait...till they call you.

Dress code is stiff...but not as stiff as some of what I read on here...just call the visitor hotline and the recording will tell you the do's and don'ts and also provide you with the number for making a visiting reservation. No denim, no sleeveless or spaghetti straps, no thongs, no sheers, dresses and pants no more than 2 inches above the knee, that kind of thing. The hotline number is 1-800-374-8474. When you are going through the phone tree, you need to know that the area code for DVI is 209.

The prison itself is old and is rows and rows of tall narrow white buidings several stories high made of what looks like cement or cinderblock. There's a gun tower at the sally port. It is overcrowded of course, and very, very hot in the summer, so my son tells me. The higher the level you are on, the hotter it is apparently (logically.)

My son says the food is okay tasting except for the fake meat spread sandwiches he is sure are really something gross and unhealthy. :)

The water comes from wells and he says it smells really bad (sulfer?) and is brown and chunky, but he has never gotten sick. He just uses a lot of kool-aid to get it down so he doesn't dehydrate in the heat.

Contact visits are held in the same room as behind glass visits, and all is the same procedure to get in. It is crowded and noisy and hot. There are vending machines and a TV area. It's not terribly clean overall, but at least the bathrooms are clean.

Staff has been polite though not overly helpful or informative when visiting. They like to tease my daughter in law unmercifully, but they are just respectfully polite to this white haired old lady.

hope it helps! Good luck! :)

Those of you that deal with DVI, I am close. I do live East of HWY99 but easy to get to the crosstown freeway and on I-5 to Tracy.

PM me and I'll give you my phone number is case of car problems.

If your taveling by bus, for a small amount I can pick you up here in Stockton and take you to DVI and back again. I do work part time, but this 3 weeks will be one time a week. (I hope the boss fires me) LMAO But it's been more work driving back and forth to SQ twice each weekend in that early morning traffic!! YUCK 3 hrs to SQ and one time so far 3 hrs back to Stockton.

I do have an extra bedroom, presently being used until the 19th, if over night is wanted or a rest stop.

I work in Tracy, very close to DVI. I know that it does get HOT! I can verify that, just being in that town. I have seen the prison, and yes it is old.