Minnesota Department of Corrections

 

 

AUTHORITY:           Minn. Stat. §243.48.

 

PURPOSE:     To maintain and protect the security and safety of adult facilities by establishing reasonable parameters by which members of the public may tour and the areas to which they may be escorted within the facility.

 

APPLICABILITY:     All adult facilities

 

DIRECTIVE: Tours are not provided for the general public.  Safety and security considerations make it necessary for department facilities to limit tours.  Pre-arranged tours may be allowed when a professional benefit will result.  Examples include corrections officials from other jurisdictions, facility architects/planners, government officials, registered candidate for elected office, criminal justice employees, authorized media and prospective industry customers.  College or university student groups or classes whose major emphasis of study is related to the criminal justice field, organizations involved in support services for correctional agencies and family members of current employees may also be considered for tours.

 

Tours will be allowed per the classifications listed below.  Tour size, classification designation and tour route will be determined by the focus of the tour group and the needs of the facility.

 

Class A Tour:  In-depth tour of all areas of the facility.  This type of tour will be reserved for architects, facility planners, or other high level visiting officials.

 

Class B Tour:  Tour of selected areas of the facility.  This type of tour will be reserved for criminal justice employees, news media, elected officials, registered candidates for elected office, other management level government officials, employees’ family/significant others, potential job applicants participating in facility job fair/open house, industry business suppliers or customers and college or university Criminal Justice students.

 

Class C Tour:  Tour of areas outside the secure perimeter of the facility.  This may only include presentations by staff.

 

DEFINITIONS:

Facility security levels - areas designated by number indicating the level of security, ranging from Level 5, maximum, to Levels 1 & 2, minimum.

 

Registered candidate – a person who has filed for a state, federal, or county office under a major or minor party as identified by the MN Secretary of State and Minn. Stat. § 200.02

 

PROCEDURES:

A.        Tour Guidelines

1.         Tours of the facility must be arranged through a designated tour coordinator.  Each facility will maintain a record of all tours.

 

2.         Tours will be conducted in a manner that is least disruptive to the facility.

 

3.         No persons under the age of 18 will be allowed within the secured perimeter other than the visiting area of facility security Levels 5, 4, 3 & 2.  Approved, scheduled and supervised tour groups of minor children may be allowed outside the secured perimeter of these facilities and in selected areas of Level 1 and 2 facilities.  A class instructor/teacher or other responsible individual must accompany student groups at all academic levels.

 

4.         The facility administrators may terminate a visitor's tour for violation of any facility rule or for any conduct that threatens the security or orderly operation of the facility.  The facility administrators may also ban the visitor from the facility and/or restrict the visitor's future access to any correctional facility.

 

5.         The facility tour coordinator will determine if the requested tour meets the criteria as outlined in this directive.  If the criteria are met, the tour applicants must provide the following information:

a)         Full name(s) of all tour participants

 

b)         Date of birth and identification numbers (driver’s license, passport, state identification card and/or social security number), in advance for a Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) check, if required by the facility.

 

c)         Name and phone number of a tour contact person

 

d)         One of the following forms of identification (presented before the tour commences):  valid driver’s license, state identification card, passports for non-U.S. residents, or military I.D. for those on active duty

 

6.         The facility tour coordinator will complete the appropriate visitor admission paperwork, obtain approval and make the necessary arrangements for the tour.  Tours are prohibited for visitors who are on an offender's approved visiting list.  (See Division Directive 302.100, "Visiting.")

 

7.         All tour participants entering the facility must display a valid picture identification; register in the visitor log; be hand-stamped; and/or receive a visitor ID (if applicable); and pass through a metal detector.  On completion of the tour, all tour participants will sign out and return the visitor I.D. if one was issued.

 

8.         All tour participants and their belongings will be subject to search prior to admission to the facility.

 

9.         Only essential articles may enter the facility.  All non-essential items must be secured in available lockers or left in visitor's vehicle.  [Please refer to the Guidelines for Tours (attached).]

 

10.       Exceptions to tour guidelines may be made for elected officials and other VIP guests with the warden’s approval.

 

11.       The staff arranging a registered candidate tour will notify the department Government Relations Director prior to the tour.  The attached Guidelines for Tours apply to registered candidate tours.  The registered candidate may include his/her spouse and up to two staff on the tour.  Media representatives are not allowed to accompany a registered candidate tour within a facility’s secure perimeter.

 

B.         Any exceptions to this directive must be approved by the warden/designee of the facility.  The warden/designee will consult the Assistant Commissioner for Adult Facilities as necessary.  Facilities may establish instructions as necessary to implement this directive.

 

REVIEW:       Annually

 

REFERENCES:         ACA Standard 4-4503, 1-ABC-5D-15.

Division Directive 302.100, "Visiting."

 

SUPERSESSION:     Division Directive 300.030, “Tours-Adult Facilities,” 12/4/07.

All facility policies, memos, or other communications whether verbal, written, or transmitted by electronic means regarding this topic.

 

ATTACHMENTS:    Guidelines for Tours

 

/s/

David R. Crist, Assistant Commissioner

Facility Services

 

Instructions

300.030LL, “Tours”

300.030RC, “Tours-MCF-Rush City”

300.030SCL, “Tours-Adult Facilities”