Department of Corrections Rules, Visitation, 12 CAR § 60-117 & REPEALS: Visitation, 12 CAR § 70-108; Resident Visitation, 16 CAR § 30-204

The Protect Arkansas Act requires the Secretary of Corrections to promulgate a rule on visitation of minor children with offenders housed in a facility operated or contracted by a division of the Department of Corrections. This administrative rule sets out procedures for visitation approval, conditions and limitations on visitations, and instances in which there are exceptions to ordinary visitation rules.

A public hearing was not held on this matter. The public comment period expired March 9, 2026. The agency has indicated that it received no public comments. Grant Wise, an attorney with the Bureau of Legislative Research, asked the following questions and was provided with the following agency responses: 1. Arkansas Code § 12-29-802(b)(3) states the Secretary of the Department of Corrections shall adopt rules authorizing the visitation of an inmate who has a low or minimum-security classification with his or her minor children subject to minimum requirements, including authorizing “contact visits for an inmate who is a parent of one (1) or more minor children unless the department has a reasonable belief that contact visitation poses a risk to the safety of the minor child or the security and good order of the facility.” Does such a provision appear in this rule or in another of the department’s rules? Are contact visits and in-person visits the same thing? RESPONSE: Yes. For purposes of the proposed rule, contact visits and in-person visits are intended to refer to the same type of face-to-face visitation, meaning visits that are not conducted through glass separation or by video.

• Rule packet: E.5.a DOC SOC Visitation and REPEALS and Act 659 of 2023 and AD 2024-11
• ALC summary agenda Jun 18, 2026
• ALC agenda Jun 18, 2026
• ALC meeting video Jun 18, 2026