Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre
How to Support Your Loved One
Visiting
On admission the inmate has to submit a visitor’s list, he can place six names on the list. To be approved to visit an inmate your name must appear on this authorized list.
The authorized visitor’s list can be changed by the inmate on a monthly basis.
call 613-824-6080 to book a visit, follow instructions
when you call to book a visit, the information you will be asked for is the date and time of requested visit, the name of inmate and the names of visitors. There is a maximum of two people allowed per visit.
visiting schedule runs from Monday to Sunday and inmates are allowed two 20 minute visits per week
there are specific dates and times for visits, depending on where the inmate is housed in the jail.
It is advisable to call and confirm your visit because in the event of an inmate transfer either within the institution or to another facility, or there is a lockdown, you may just show up and not be allowed to have your booked visit The staff will not call you to cancel your scheduled visit.
Check what is considered acceptable forms of I.D prior to visiting.
On the day of visit
Arrive a minimum of 15 minutes prior to scheduled visit
Take photo ID with you, leave cell phones and any other personal possessions you can in your car.
If travelling by public transit leave cell phones at home if possible.
When you approach the gate, stop , press buzzer at the right of the gate, state who you are and reason for requesting entry e.g a visit to (give loved ones name), change of clothes or depositing money.
Turn to your left, walk to entry, check in with correctional officer (be prepared that a CO may not be the friendliest), have photo ID ready
If leaving canteen money for an inmate, you must do this before you visit, upon check in, cash only (coins not accepted). You will receive a receipt for any money deposited to the inmate’s account.
More information on inmate’s account is listed below.
Once you have checked in, everything must be put in a locker. Except for the locker key, you will not be allowed to take anything into the visiting area. This includes papers you need to have signed by the inmate.
Lockers require a Canadian quarter which will be returned to you when you reopen the locker.
If you forget to bring a quarter, you may ask to borrow one from the correctional officer at check in and return to them when you exit.
There are two gender public washrooms in the waiting area and the door must be locked manually.
Professional visits are processed before visitors to inmates.
When it is time for your visit then surname of the inmate will be called
You enter the inmate visiting area through a door at the back of the room. You will have to pass through a metal detector so be prepared to remove footwear, jewelry and belts, these items are passed through an x-ray machine.
The correction officer will tell you the number of the assigned phone, the number will be 1-10 and is visible on each cubicle.
You will enter through a door to your left , inside the doorway on the left there is a container with antibacterial wipes which can be used to wipe down your phone and area. When leaving there is a garbage can by the door in which it can be discarded.
Visits are 20 minutes long and you will hear a warning beep on the phone when there is one minute left for visit. Phones are cut off automatically at the 20 minute mark.
Canteen account
Inmates are allowed to purchase up to $60 worth of items a week, they usually put in their order on a Sunday and receive it on Tuesday, canteen money must be put in their account by Thursday for them to use it that Sunday
Money can be deposited on a visit day prior to the visit or on a non visit day during visiting hours.
You must be an authorized visitor to deposit funds to an inmate’s account. You cannot deposit money to another inmate’s account.
In the event of a transfer the money in the account is transferred with the inmate
In the event of a discharge either from the court or OCDC the remaining funds will be issued in the form of a cheque. Please check if money will be released at the same time as other personal property.
Phone calls
Inmates are only allowed to call collect to a land line, calls are cut off at 20 minutes (your loved one will get a 3 minute warning), if there is loud background noise or you try to put them on speakerphone the call will immediately be cut off, don’t be surprised by a ‘bad connection’ where you try to press 1 to accept the call and it doesn’t work
If you reside outside the local area or travelling outside the local area when you may be receiving calls from an inmate Call2talk is a company to find cheaper rates or to be able to have a call come to your cell phone.
Newspapers
Ottawa Sun and the Ottawa Citizen will deliver to OCDC
Subscription can be paid by someone on the outside, you will be asked for the inmate’s I.D number. The newspaper will be delivered to the inmate directly from the newspaper company.
Mail to the inmate can be addressed to
OCDC,
2244 Innes Rd.,
Ottawa On K1B 4C4
Do not include stickers,music cards, adhesives, cards with glitter or crayon drawings. Check how many photos can be included in one letter.
Always include a return address.
Expect the unexpected: visits may be cancelled on arrival, your loved one may not be able to call when expected due to lockdowns etc.
There is an inmate handbook that should be handed out to all inmates.
Please refer to our website for other useful links regarding the Community Advisory Board and the Ontario Ombudsman
What you can mail to Federal Institutions
Within a Correctional Facility it is necessary to ensure that many normally harmless items are not received into the facility. We are sure that you can appreciate our need to ensure that illicit drugs and other contraband/ unauthorized items are not introduced into the institution. It is for this reason that we have to consider the following items as unauthorized when arriving by mail or delivered in person:
Stickers, labels, stamps, envelopes, stationary Musical cards, homemade cards
Greeting cards with anything glued on, including glitter and other attachments
Magazine clippings or newspaper clippings and materials of this nature printed from the Internet. Pens/pencils, sharp objects, paper clips, pins
Craft Items
Drawing done in anything other than pen or pencil Telephone calling cards
Address books
Materials with inappropriate content of a sexual or violent nature
Photos of an inappropriate nature (sexual, nudity, violence, criminal activity, weapons, alcohol, drugs)
Alcohol, weapons, illicit drugs, tobacco
Lipstick, lip imprints, bodily fluids/unknown fluids or substances Strongly scented materials
Material which advocates or promotes gangs or gang related activities Tattoo patterns or paraphernalia
Gifts
Books, magazines
Articles that violate copyright laws, including material printed from the Internet Excessive amount of materials printed from the Internet
Maps/Posters Other Items
If one or more of the enclosed items are considered to be unauthorized, the institution will return the entire contents to you.