A copy of the Visitor’s Handbook is available here.

Booking visits

To visit a detainee at the AMC you must book the visit at least 24 hours in advance by telephone on 02 6205 8589.

There are no visits on Mondays. Visits on the other six days of the week can be made mornings, afternoons and evenings.

For any visit there is a limit of four adult visitors, and a reasonable number of children.

Types of Visits

There are four types of visits available at the AMC – contact, non-contact, family, and professional.

Contact

Contact visits are conducted in designated areas and permit limited physical contact between a detainee and a visitor.

Non-Contact

Non-contact visits exclude all physical contact between a detainee and a visitor, and are conducted in cubicles specified for this purpose.

Family

Family visits take place in the family visits room, the purpose of which is to foster positive family relationships and ease the transition from prison to the community. Family visits are a privilege and approval will depend on the detainee’s behaviour.

Professional Visits

Professional visits can include:

(a) a lawyer representing the detainee;

(b) an official visitor;

(c) the human rights commissioner;

(d) the public advocate;

(e) the ombudsman;

(f) a person prescribed by regulation.

An individual detainee’s visiting types and times will be determined by his or her security classification. It is advisable to check current visiting times, and the times appropriate to the detainee, when you phone to make a booking. Detainees are limited to one visit per day.

Arrival at the AMC

ACTION Buses provides a regular bus service from the Woden Interchange to the AMC. Timetables are available here and here. If you are arriving by car, there is ample parking available to the right . After parking your car or exiting the bus, follow the blue line to the AMC entrance.

You should arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled visit.

Security Protocols for Visits

On your first visit you will need to present personal identification (100 points system including photo Government ID, as detailed in the Visitor’s Handbook) for yourself and any members of your party over the age of 18 years. Children under the age of 18 years must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Each visitor must also be iris scanned before entry. Visitors must pass through the iris scanner units within the AMC Gatehouse to both enter and exit the prison. The iris scanner takes a picture of the iris in your eyes. The picture is then stored within the AMC database and can be matched by the scanner on any further visits. This data is only used for this purpose. Initial registration and use of the iris scanner can take up to 10 minutes per person but will simplify later visits by removing the need to provide detailed identification every time you visit. For further information on the iris scanner, please read the Visitor Handbook which is available above.

To gain access to Visitor Reception you and your approved belongings will pass through a range of other electronic scanners. These scanners are very sensitive and will detect any prohibited or other items.

It is an offence under the Corrections Management Act 2007 to bring prohibited items into the AMC, give a prohibited item to a detainee, or remove a prohibited item from the AMC. This offence carries a maximum penalty of $10,000 or 1 year in prison, or both. A full list of prohibited items is included in the Visitor’s Handbook, and can be obtained from AMC reception staff.

Professional Visitors

Legal visits follow the same rules as other visitors, except that they are permitted to bring legal documentation into the visit, which is conducted in a designated private room. Detainees and legal representatives may request a non-contact or non-private visit.

Legal visitors must present identification at each visit that identifies them as a registered legal practitioner, and they must be involved in the legal representation of the detainee that they are visiting.

Detainee Trust Accounts

All detainees have a trust account, in which family and friends can deposit money for the prisoner’s use. Detainees may use the money in their trust account to pay for telephone calls, and to purchase a range of items through the buy-up system.

Money for a detainee’s trust account may be deposited via cash, money orders or bank cheques at the AMC during reception opening hours. No personal cheques will be accepted. There is a limit of $100 per week that each prisoner can receive into their trust account.

Detainee Property

If a detainee wishes to have property brought into the AMC, they must check with staff to see whether it will be accepted prior to submitting a request form. If a detainee wishes to sign property out to a family member or friend, they must submit a request form with the person’s name and the requested date of collection.

Authorised Visitors

Operating procedures for the AMC ensure that Vocational Education and Training, rehabilitation programs, work and recreational activities will be available to assist detainee rehabilitation and integration with the ACT community. To date several community organisations have expressed an interest in supporting detainees in the AMC. ACT Corrective Services welcomes input from community organisations that are interested in providing activities to detainees within the AMC. This approach should not be construed, in any way, as a funding offer or an indication that the AMC will fund community organisations.

The activities offered by community agencies will be reviewed to ensure they are appropriate for a correctional facility. Authorised Visitors will be provided with training in Occupational Health and Safety and Security Awareness. Initial training would require a one-half day commitment from those who will be visiting detainees.

Agencies are encouraged to apply for Authorised Visitor Status by completing the Application for Authorised Visitor Status, and to read the attached Guidelines and Criteria for the Assessment of Community Organisations to Enter Correctional Facilities as Authorised Visitors.

If you believe your agency could assist in providing meaningful activities to detainees, be it on a weekly, monthly or other basis, ACT Corrective Services would be very pleased to receive your application, please see the links below.

Application Package

National Police Check Application form 2010