NYC DOC – Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward (BHPW)

NYC DOC – Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward (BHPW) basic information to help guide you through what you can do for your inmate while they are incarcerated. The facility's direct contact number: 212-266-1500

This facility is for adult inmates.

The NYC DOC – Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward (BHPW) is a correctional facility hospital located at 462 1st Ave in New York, NY.

State Hospitals are operated by the Department of Corrections to hold inmates sentenced to a term of evaluation and treatment before any new assessment of their stability is considered. You may call 212-266-1500 to get information about an inmate and visiting hours.

New York DOC medical facilities include Level I (Open dormitories without a secure perimeter) housing, Level II (Open dormitories with secure perimeter fences and armed coverage) housing, and Level III (Individual cells, fenced perimeters, and armed coverage) housing.

With a "general acute care hospital, correctional treatment center, licensed elderly care unit, in-patient and out-patient psychiatric facilities, a hospice unit for terminally ill inmates, housing and treatment for inmates identified with AIDS/HIV, general population, and other special inmate housing.

Family and Friends of inmates are allowed to:
• Receive phone calls from the inmates,
• Provide them with commissary money
• Receive and send them mail
• Schedule a time to visit.

BHPW houses male inmates requiring psychiatric or medical treatment. The hospital currently occupies a 25-story patient care facility with an ICU, digital radiology communication and an outpatient facility. The hospital has an attending physician staff of 1,200 and an in-house staff of about 5,500. The facility also offers comprehensive healthcare services, including outpatient, specialty and skilled nursing care.

Inmate Handbook – This handbook has information about many of the programs and services available to you, including educational services, family events, the grievance process, law libraries, medical and mental health services, reentry services, and religious services. You can learn more about all of the programs and services available to you in the programs office. To go to the programs office, ask your housing area officer for an interview slip, fill out the slip, and return it to the officer. Additionally, the handbook provides answers to frequently asked questions, including how family and friends can deposit money into your account, how often you can use the phone, what property you may have, how many visits you may have, what to do if you have a disability, how to access services, and how to address various concerns.

visitation Info

NYC DOC – Bellevue Hospital Prison Ward (BHPW) – Visitation

Visit an Inmate

• Visitors will be subject to passive canine searches when arriving to the Hospital Prison Wards.
• All visitors 16 years of age and older must present valid current identification that contains a photograph and signature. Acceptable forms of identification for all visitors are listed below.
• Children under the age of 16 who are accompanied by an adult over 18 are not required to present any identification at all.
• A 16-year-old or 17-year old with valid identification may accompany a child under the age of 16 if he or she is the parent of that child and the inmate being visited is also the parent of the same child. In this case, the 16- or 17-year-old must produce a birth certificate for the child under the age of 16.

Acceptable Forms of Identification – From any state or territory in the U.S.:

• Current driver’s license
• Valid Employment ID card with photo AND most recent employment paycheck/stub
• DMV Non-driver license identification card

Other Acceptable Forms of Identification

• Resident alien or permanent resident card issued by the U.S. Department of Justice
• Passport (from any country)
• NYS benefits identification card (Medicaid/food stamp photo ID)
• U.S. Armed Services identification
• Consulate-issued or diplomatic identification
• IDNYC card

If you have any questions while at a facility, please ask a Correction Officer or Supervisor
Visit Schedule – The visit schedule is based on the first letter of inmates' last names. Visitors should check the visitation schedule to be sure their friend or family member is eligible for a visit on a specific day.
Registration and Visit Hours
There are no visits on Mondays and Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursday
Registration hours are on Wednesdays and Thursdays are from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.  Visits are permitted from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., but visitors must register by 8:00 p.m.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (Please note: the start of visiting hours can be delayed due to unforeseen circumstances.)
Number of Visits and Visitors – Inmates are permitted to visit with up to three (3) visitors at the same time, with the maximum number to be determined by conditions set forth in each facility, availability of space and volume of visitors/inmates.  Detainees may receive visits three (3) times per week.  Sentenced inmates may receive visits two (2) times per week.  All inmates are limited to one (1) visit session per visit day, regardless of the number of visitors in that session.
Visitors' Dress Code – To provide for the safety and security of Department staff, inmates and visitors and to maintain a family-friendly environment, visitors must wear appropriate clothing to visit inmates. Overly suggestive clothing and clothing in which contraband and non-permissible items can be hidden are not permitted. When meeting with an inmate, visitors may only wear a single layer of clothing (except those visitors required to wear a cover-up garment) and NO ACCESSORIES.
Visitors WILL NOT be permitted onto the visit floor of jail if they are wearing any of the following:

• Clothing with holes or rips that are located more than three inches above the knee
• Hooded garments
• Hats and head coverings (excluding religious head coverings)
• Clothing identifying a specific gang by name or logo
• Clothing that makes explicit reference to obscene language, drugs, sex or violence
• Swimming attire
• See-through garments 
• Uniforms 
• Jewelry (excluding a wedding ring and one religious medal no more than two inches in diameter hung on the chain of one-quarter-inch or less in diameter and no longer than 24 inches
• Tops, including dresses, which expose the chest, stomach or back 
• Shorts, skirts or dresses the hem of which is more than three inches above the knee 
• Spandex leggings unless covered by tops, shorts, skirts or dresses the hem of which is no more than three inches above the knee 
• Outer garments including coats, shawls, ponchos, jackets, vests, gloves, or over-boots or overshoes (outer boots or shoes that slip over other shoes) 
• Visitors must wear undergarments.

Visitors whose attire violates the dress code will be permitted a contact visit if they agree to wear a cover-up garment provided by the Department. Visitors who refuse to wear a cover-up garment provided by the Department will be denied a visit.