TN DOC – Bledsoe County Correctional Complex (BCCX)

TN DOC – Bledsoe County Correctional Complex (BCCX) basic information to help guide you through what you can do for your inmate while they are incarcerated. The facility's direct contact number: 423-881-3251

This facility is for adult inmates.

The inmates housed at Bledsoe County Correctional located at 1045 Horsehead Rd in Pikeville, TN are placed according to their custody level (determined by a number of factors including the past criminal history and the length of their sentence). There are ample educational and vocational training programs for all inmates, especially ones that show a willingness to learn new things that will prepare them for a better life when they are released. The mission is to promote and prepare the offender to leave in better shape than when they arrived, giving them the best chance to never come back and thus lower the state's recidivism rate.

BCCX is a state prison formerly known as the Southeastern Tennessee Regional Correctional Facility which is operated by the Tennessee Department of Corrections that houses 2,239 minimum and medium custody adult male inmates The Correctional Complex also operates a male annex that holds 150 inmates and a female unit that houses 300 inmates. This facility also acts as the intake and classification center for all male inmates in the state. During intake and classification inmates are fingerprinted, photographed, given a physical examination, and take multiple assessments. Through these assessments, the staff will determine the programming, mental health, and medical needs of the offender. The inmate will then be given a security classification and assigned a more permanent facility.

Bledsoe County Correctional Complex offers vocational training in food preparation, woodworking/carpentry, barbering, electronics, auto body repair, cosmetology, and small engine repair. The vocational programs are designed to teach the inmate a new skill they can later use upon release. Bledsoe County Correctional Complex participates in TRICOR (Tennessee Rehabilitative Initiative in Correction) and allows inmates to work on a farm that grows and harvests crops, and produces milk.

visitation Info

TN DOC – Bledsoe County Correctional Complex (BCCX) – Visitation

Contact Days/Hours:  Thursday thru Monday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

General Visitation Rules – A person legally authorized to possess a firearm may transport and safely store a firearm or ammunition in a locked motor vehicle or locked container securely attached to the vehicle while on or utilizing the designated facility parking area. The firearm/ ammunition shall be kept out of ordinary observation. Introduction of contraband or failure to secure your authorized firearm(s)/ammunition could cause your visiting privileges to be suspended.

Inmates shall be responsible for ensuring that their visit is conducted in an orderly manner in compliance with the rules and regulations set forth by the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) and the institution. Failure to follow visitation rules may result in disciplinary action, suspension of visiting privileges, or both.

Trash cans are provided throughout the visitation gallery. It is the responsibility of the visitor and/or inmates to clean up their own trash.

Visitors shall not be allowed to deliver packages, correspondence, pictures or printed material to inmates. All such items must be mailed.

Inmates will not be allowed to send anything out of the visiting area with visitor unless preapproved. Written permission must be presented to the checkpoint officer when leaving visitation.

Drinks and chips can be purchased from the visitation vending machines (see Debitek cards on page _) and may not be brought in by the visitor.

All  items  entering  the  institution  will  be  searched.    

VISITATION  SCHEDULE

The visiting schedule for Bledsoe County Correctional Complex is as follows:

8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday, and designated state holidays. (**see below)
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Wednesday evening (by appointment only)
Visitation processing will stop from 10A.M. – 11A.M. for institutional count, and processing will stop at 2P.M. for end of day.

**State Holidays visitation days: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President’s Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. (Additional visitation days for Thanksgiving and Christmas will be announced by the Commissioner before the holiday season.

Visits are limited to a  minimum of two hours, except for Classification inmates who are only allowed a one-hour visit. Four adults  plus children are permitted to visit. If space becomes an issue, visits may be terminated on a first-come, first-to-leave basis; exceptions will be made for visitors who have traveled over 200 miles and who visit infrequently.

Wednesday evening visitation is limited to visitors who are unable to come on the weekend and must be scheduled no later than 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Verification must be provided as to why you cannot visit on weekends, i.e., under a doctor’s care, have to work both Saturday and Sunday, etc.

PROPER IDENTIFICATION

Visitor must register upon entering the institution at checkpoint. Visitors must sign into the visitor logbook. (License plate number is required when signing logbook.) All visitors, regardless of age, must show current and valid identification before being allowed to visit. All identification for persons 16 and older must be a state or government-issued photo ID and must be current. Exceptions for no photo on a state ID will be made for senior citizens only.

Acceptable identification includes:

A current driver’s license
A government or military ID
Birth certificate and/or marriage license (for minors and/or proof of relationship only. Cannot be used in place of valid photo id.)
School identification cards (minors only, birth certificate will still be required).

Social securit y card s or exp ired d river’ s licen se are n ot   considered acceptable identification.

APPILICATION PROCESS

All visitors, regardless of age, must have an approved Visitation Application (CR-2152) with current photo and any necessary documentation (notary form, birth certificate, marriage license, etc.) on file before they can be admitted into the visitation area. It can take up to 30 days for an application to be processed.
 
All sections of the CR-2152 shall be completed. A driver’s license number or state ID number is required.) If any falsification of the visitation form occurs by a visitor applicant, the visitor applicant shall not be allowed to   resubmit    a visitor application (CR-2152) for a minimum of six months.

Approval of visitors shall be at the Warden’s discretion, in accordance with the following guidelines:

All  immediate  family  members  who  apply  and  eight
(8) additional adults may be approved to visit an inmate upon receipt of a Visitor Application (CR-2152). Classification inmates and Maximum Security inmate may visit with immediate family only.

Four adults plus children are permitted to visit an inmate at one time.

All applications must be updated every two years with current photo and any necessary documentation. When a visitor comes to visit and it is discovered that his/her application is over two years old, they will be informed that they have 30 days to update their application or their visits will be denied.

Children under 18 years of age may visit; however a CR-2152 with recent photograph must be on file along with a completed and notarized Parental Consent/Release form (CR-2152 page 2). Children under the age of five (5) no picture is required on visitation application. A Parental Consent/Release form gives permission from the custodial parent or legal guardian to have the child brought in by  an escort who may bring the minor child in to visit as long as they themselves are on the inmate’s approved visitation list. A parental Consent/Release form also gives visitation staff permission to search the minor child. Although identification is not required for children under the age of 16 years, a copy of the minor’s birth certificate and/or legal documentation showing proof of custody
MUST be on file for any minor child under the age of
18. If a minor under the age of 18 is married to the inmate, they do not need to have a completed Parental/Consent form, instead a copy of the marriage certificate will be required.

Visitors  may  not  be  placed  on  more  than  one  (1) inmate’s visiting list unless immediate family.

Any visitor who has visited and who has been taken off the visiting list of an inmate at any institution shall be required to wait one (1) year before being processed to visit another inmate. The Warden may make an exception only if the inmate is immediate family.

Classification inmates who have just arrived to the institution will be allowed to visit with any approved immediate family member they have listed on their Initial Classification Visitation List (CR-2545). Immediate family members will have 60 days to visit while they have a Visitation Application (CR-2152) processed and approved. Visitors are encouraged to turn in an application as soon as possible to avoid any possible visitation problems.  A visitation application can  take  up  to  30  days  to  process.    Visitation for Classification inmates will be one (1) hour non-contact until inmate has been assigned a custody level.  Non- family  members  can  submit  visitation  applications once the inmate has reached their time building facility, or the inmate has been assigned to PSLS. Inmates assigned to PSLS can add two (2) non-family members to their visitation list.

All applications must be updated every two years with current photo and any necessary documentation. When a visitor comes to visit and it is discovered that his/her application is over two years old, they will be informed that they have 30 days to update their application or their visits will be denied.

Inmates who are punitive, pending investigation (PI), pending hearing (PH) or protective  services investigation (PSI) will not be allowed to visit.

Inmates placed on transit status will only be allowed visitation after two (2) weeks and may only be visited by immediate family; these visits will be a two (2) non- contact visitation.

Inmates who are assigned to Classification (whether they have been re-classed or not) will only be allowed visits by immediate family. They will be conducted in the Classification visiting area and will be limited to one hour on either Saturday or Sunday not both days.

Inmates classified as close security and housed in the segregation unit will have non-contact visits.

Inmates assigned to Pro-Social Life Skills (PSLS) (Units 24A, 24B, 25A) are permitted to add two non- immediate family members to their visitation list.
 
Any person the Warden determines could have a harmful influence on the inmate and/or may constitute a threat to the security of the institution shall not be approved for visitation.

Visitors with prior felony convictions – only immediate family members may submit a visitor application for approval six (6) months following release from incarceration or placement on probation/community corrections or parole supervision. (A written consent of supervising officer/counselor is required.)

Current or former employees of TDOC, TRICOR, or contract agencies (in Tennessee), interns, and practicum students shall not be approved unless they are immediate family members of the inmate.

If the person’s separation from TDOC service was due to a violation of state law, e.g., trafficking in contraband whether or not prosecution occurred, visitation requests will not be considered, even if the employee has become an immediate family member.

If the person’s separation from TDOC service was the result of a violation of Policy #305.03 Employee/Offender Relationships, visitation requests will not be considered, even if the employee has become an immediate family member.

If a person’s separation from TDOC service was voluntary and not due to the events as described above, the individual may submit an application for consideration after forty-eight (48) months from the date of TDOC separation.

If a person’s separation from TDOC service was completely voluntary with no policy violation and the person is currently married to the inmate, visitation requests shall not be considered for a period of twelve (12)from the date of marriage to the inmate, or for a period of 48 months from the date of TDOC separation. If the former employee worked at the facility where visitation would occur visitation will not be allowed.

Former  TDOC  employees,  on  visitation  list  as  of October 1998, shall be allowed to remain on the list.

Immediate family: Mother, father, husband, wife, son/daughter, grandchild, brother, sister, grandmother/father, half-bother/sister, son/daughter-in law, brother/sister-in-law, father/mother-in-law, adoptive parents and step-parents.

Legal Guardian: A person appointed by the court to provide partial or full supervision, protection, and assistance of the minor child, as evidenced by a certified copy of a court order.

ALL VISITING APPLICANTS MAY BE SUBJECT TO A NCIC (National Crime Information Center) CHECK.  

SEARCHES
All visitors and vehicles are subject to search.  Refusal  to submit to any type of search shall  be  sufficient  grounds  to deny a visit and may result in suspension of visitation privileges. Visitors are responsible for making sure their vehicles are locked and secured. Drug K-9’s may  be  used during vehicle searches.

Any visitor found to have in their possession
drugs,  alcohol  or  weapons  may  be  permanently prohibited from visiting at any TDOC facility. Visitors
 

having  prescription  drugs  on  state  property  must have the drugs in the prescription bottle  or  have  a copy of the prescription with them. THIS  IS A  TOBACCO-FREE FACILITY.

Visitors will be frisk-searched before being allowed admittance into the visiting area.

All items in the visitor’s possession shall also be searched.

Visitors may be randomly searched or searched for probable cause at any time during their visit.

Bathrooms must be used at checkpoint prior to being searched. Bathrooms are provided at checkpoint, inside the Visitation Gallery, and outside Visitation area (when open)

All searches shall be in compliance with TDOC Policy #506.06.  APPROPRIATE CLOTHING
All visitors shall dress in an appropriate manner.

Shoes are required for entrance and shall be worn throughout visiting period by all visitors. Flip-flops of any style, shower shoes, house slippers, sock shoes, moccasins, steel-toed shoes, and high heels over 3” are not permitted. (Allowances can be made for infants and those with valid medical conditions; a doctor’s note may be required.)
Halter tops and tank tops are not allowed.

Sleeveless shirts (sleeve much be 4”) and sundresses are not allowed (allowances may be made for children under the age of 10.)

Zip-down shirts, zip-down skits, wrap-around skirts are not permitted.

Clothing that is transparent or translucent in nature is not allowed.

Clothing exposing a bare chest or midriff is not allowed.

No camouflage attire. (Fabric or a garment dyed in splotches of green, brown, tan, and/or black, so as to make the wearer indistinguishable from the surrounding environment.)

Shorts, skirts and dresses may be worn but can be no shorter than 3 inches about the knee. Any slits in a dress and/or skirt regardless of location cannot exceed three inches above the knee.

Visitors may not wear excessive clothes such as two pairs of pants or an extra shirt under their top layer of clothes.

No spandex or clothing made of spandex material. No hip huggers or low riders will be allowed. No coveralls will be allowed. No sweatpants or tops are allowed.

Clothing must fit properly. No skin-tight clothing or clothing that is worn too small in size. No overly baggy clothing or clothing that is too large in size.

Visitors MUST wear underwear. Slips are required when dresses or skirts are worn. No thongs or water bras will be allowed. White undershirts may only be worn as an undergarment.

Bras MUST NOT have metal underwire. Only sports bras or bras without metal wire are permitted.

Worn or tattered clothes with holes will not be allowed.

No bandanas, do-rags, or stocking caps will be permitted.

Arts and craft items will not be allowed (this includes jewelry)

Clothes with logos that contain pictures, slogans, or vulgarity, or contain signs or symbols of a Security Threat Group (STG) or any clothing determined by the processing officer to be associated with any STG will not be allowed. The association may be made by color combination, designs, or the manner in which the clothing is worn.

No uniforms or medical scrubs are permitted.

No opened toe shoes are permitted.

Clothing must be worn appropriately throughout visit or the visit may be terminated.

If a visitor is wearing an adult diaper or feminine hygiene product, it must be changed in the presence of visitation staff. (Allowances can be made for those with valid medical conditions; a doctor’s note may be required.)

ITEMS PERMITTED PASSED CHECKPOINT

Personal property shall be restricted to the following:

Entrance ID
One car key
One BCCX locker key
**Debitek card (purchased at checkpoint and used to purchase items in vending machine)
No sunglasses unless prescribed by a doctor
Prosthesis, artificial limbs (plastic or  other  substances), and cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators shall be allowed. (Visitors  may be required to present doctor’s note and are subject to search/inspection.)
Crutches, wheelchairs, and walkers shall be allowed. (Visitor may be required to present doctor’s note and are subject to search/inspection.)
Pagers must have prior approval by the Warden. Pagers must be worn in a conspicuous place and must be in silent/vibrate mode during visits. Visitors will be required to open battery compartment during the search prior to entering the institution and again upon exiting the institution.
Jackets may be worn. Gloves, mittens, scarves, leg warmers, muffs, and snow pants are not allowed past checkpoint and must be left in the car.

**Debitek cards can be purchased at checkpoint. The first time you purchase the debitek card you must use a $5 bill ($2 for the cost of the card and the remaining $3 will be placed on the card). Once you have purchased the card you can place up to a $50 balance on the card; the machine will take $1to $20 bill ($2 bills will not work in machine). TDOC is not responsible for any lost or stolen Debitek Cards. Any reimbursement of money must be requested through the vendor. Forms are available through Visitation staff.

Inmates who visit non-contact will not be permitted to have food or drinks from the vending machines.

Debitek cards cannot be given to the inmate.

Visitors  with  an  infant  may  bring  the  following  into  the visitation area:

Two (2) diapers
Baby wipes in clear plastic container
One (1) clear plastic baby feeding bottle
Powder baby formula in clear plastic bag, not to exceed the amount for two (2) feedings.

DENIAL/SUSPENSION OF VISITS

Any visitor may be denied entry into visiting area for any reason including but not limited to:

Refusing or unable to show proper identification.

Refusing to submit to a search

Appearing to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol

Possession of contraband

Inappropriate dress

Displaying  of  Security  Threat  Group  (STG/gang-related) symbols or affiliation.

Visits may be terminated by the visitation supervisor; however, less restrictive measures may be used, such as warning the inmate and/or the visitor(s) or placing inmate and/or visitor in an assigned seat(s).

Example  of  reasons  for  warnings  or  termination  of  visits include but not limited to:

Inmates or visitors who violate visitation conduct rules.

Failure by visitors to control their children

Visitor  and  inmate  engage  in  unacceptable  physical contact.

Visiting privileges may be suspended for up to six (6) months by the Warden if:

Upon reviewing a denial/termination, he/she feels it is warranted.

During the visit, it becomes apparent the visitor and/or inmate have become intoxicated.

Visitor and/or inmate repeatedly violate visiting rules.

Visitor continually fails to control children.

Visitor  will  not,  after  a  verbal  warning,  refrain  from unacceptable physical contact.

Visitor refuses a frisk-search (or strip search if with good cause).
 
Physical contact shall be restricted to a brief embrace and kiss at the beginning and end of each visit. Inmates and visitors shall not engage in undue physical contact, i.e., caressing, kissing, lap-sitting, entwining of the legs, etc. Open-mouth kissing is not allowed. Holding hands during a visit is permissible.

CHILDREN IN VISITATION

Children shall be kept under the constant supervision of the custodial parent, legal guardian or approved escort listed on the Parental Consent/Release form at all times.

Children shall be accompanied to play areas, restrooms and any other area outside the immediate area in which the visit is being conducted by the custodial parent, legal guardian or approved escort listed on the Parental Consent/Release form, not the inmate.

Children shall be escorted from the checkpoint area to parking lot and vice versa by the custodial parent, legal guardian or approved escort listed on the Parental Consent/Release form.

Children shall not be allowed  to remain  in vehicles unattended.

Children shall not be allowed to play or interact with any inmate not being visited by said child/children and/or adults accompanying said child/children. No inmate shall be allowed to play with, carry or hold any child/children belonging to other inmates or visitors and not belonging to the particular inmate or his personal visitor(s).
 
BCCX

Children are not permitted to run, wrestle, crawl on floor, or climb on chairs, windows sills, bookshelves or tables.

No toys, books games, movies, or crayons will be permitted to leave the playroom area.

No throwing or breaking toys.

No writing on walls, tables, chairs, or floors,

Boisterous, disruptive behavior or failure to follow visitation rules shall be sufficient grounds for termination of a visit.

Diapers or soled clothing must be changed in the visitation bathroom not in the visiting gallery or in the children’s playroom.

ANY DISCIPLINE OF CHILD AND/OR CHILDREN SHALL  BE VERBAL ONLY AND BE IMPSED ONLY BY THE  ACCOMPANYING ADULT VISITOR WHO IS CUSTODIAL  PARENT/LEGAL GUARDIAN OR APPROVED ESCORT  LISTED ON THE PARENTAL CONSENT/RELEASE FORM.

OUTSIDE VISTATION

The outside visitation area has been established as a privilege for inmates and visitors. Failure to follow the outside visitation rules will result in a loss of outside privileges.

The outside visitation gallery is open to population inmates only. Classification, Maximum Security, Close, or inmates on non-contact or restricted visitation will not be allowed in the outside visiting area.
 

The outside visiting will be allowed to all inmates who remain disciplinary free. The following applies to restrictions are being placed to give an incentive to those inmate who do not break the rules and stay disciplinary free.

The following suspension will apply to the outside visitation area if an inmate receives a disciplinary infraction:

Class A – six (6) month suspension
Class B – four (4) month suspension
Class C – one (1) month suspension

If an inmate who is on outside visitation suspension is found in the outside  visitation area, the inmate will be charged with defiance and lose all visiting privileges for thirty (30) days.

Inmates may visit in the outside visiting area both Saturday and Sunday during April 1st through October 1st as long as space is available. Outside visitation is not open for Wednesday night visitation.

Only food from the visitation vending machines are permitted in the outside visitation area. Visitors are not permitted to bring in any food through checkpoint.

Inmates/Visitors are not permitted to be touch, linger, or be near the fence.

The institution retains the right to close the outside visitation area as deemed appropriate by the Shift Supervisor due to weather, staff shortages, emergencies, etc.