Relating to: in-person visiting periods for inmates of state correctional institutions and county jails or houses of correction. (FE)

SB 725 requires state correctional facilities and county jails to provide inmates with at least two in-person visiting periods per week, with exceptions during lockdowns or solitary confinement (up to 10 days). The bill mandates that inmates may physically embrace visitors for 20 seconds at the start and end of each visit, and facilities must provide paper, pens, and art supplies upon request, allowing inmates to keep original visitor-made artwork. It directly affects all inmates in state prisons and county jails, as well as correctional staff (state department or sheriff’s office) responsible for implementing these visiting rules. The law also establishes a formal process for inmates or visitors to appeal unauthorized removal from a visitor registry.