Visiting Bob Wiley Detention Facility: Hours, Video and Rules

In-Person Hours, With One Caveat

Tulare County lists Bob Wiley at Saturday and Sunday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

We would call ahead before relying on it, and it is worth explaining why rather than just hedging. The county page carrying those hours also still lists a Main Jail with a call-ahead number, and county Grand Jury reports record that the Main Jail on West Burrel closed and was scheduled for demolition. A page that is demonstrably out of date on the line above yours is a page worth confirming. The number is 559-735-1700.

Video Visits, and What They Cost

Video visits run through ICSolutions and can be taken from home.

• Hours: 7:45 AM to 10:30 PM Pacific, Sunday through Saturday
• Cost: $7.50 per 30-minute visit
• Bookable blocks: 7:45 to 11:05 AM, 1:00 to 4:10 PM, and 8:00 to 9:20 PM

Bob Wiley is listed for internet visits. On-site video visiting, where you go to a facility and use a terminal there, is offered at South County Detention Facility rather than here.

The free-visit allowance is not available at Bob Wiley. Tulare County’s page describes two free 30-minute on-site visits per week plus paid visits per day, then states that this “only pertains to inmates housed at South County Detention Facility.” If you have read about free visits in Tulare County, that is the passage, and it does not apply here.

One contradiction to plan around. The same county page says visits must be scheduled at least one day but no more than one week in advance in one place, and no more than two weeks in advance in another. Both are the county’s own words. Booking around a week out satisfies either reading.

Registration Comes First

You register on the ICSolutions visitation site with a valid email address. The account then sits in pending status until the facility’s video administrator approves it, so this is not something to leave until the day you want to talk.

There is no county visitation form, no form number, and no PDF to fill in. The online registration is the whole process.

ID That Will Be Accepted

Tulare County accepts a U.S. driver’s licence, U.S. identification card, U.S. active military ID, U.S. resident card, U.S. passport, or a U.S. government-issued ID card.

It explicitly refuses: a Mexico voter card, any expired ID, photocopies of an ID or birth certificate, a school ID, any non-U.S. ID, an Indian Reservation ID card, and a Matrícula Consular ID.

Expired ID is the most common problem, and the county lists it as an outright refusal rather than something staff can waive.

Dress Code

The county quotes its own policy F-170: no clothing similar in colour or appearance to inmate attire, nothing perceived as gang related, and nothing revealing.

The video visitation page is more specific and applies to video visits too: no solid red, orange or blue clothing; no lewd pictures, logos or slogans; no sports attire, torn jeans, baggy clothing, petite shorts or spaghetti straps; and no purses, sunglasses, hats or backpacks. Nudity and tight or provocative clothing end a video visit.

Children, and Who Counts as a Visitor

Anyone over two years old counts as a visitor and takes one of the two slots at a station.

A visitor under 18 must bring their birth certificate and be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. A visit can be denied or terminated if a visitor does not supervise the children they brought.

Rules That End a Visit Before It Starts

• The 45-day rule. After release from custody you must wait 45 days before visiting anyone, including immediate family.
• An active warrant cancels the visit.
• Everyone must be named at booking. Anyone in your party who was not listed when the visit was scheduled will not be admitted.
• Check in at least five minutes early with ID for every scheduled visitor. The county publishes no grace period beyond that.
• Cancel 24 hours ahead or it is recorded as a no-show. There are no refunds when a visit ends over behaviour, dress or a policy violation, but a full refund applies when the facility cancels.

No food, drink, cell phones, cameras or recording devices. Visits are recorded and monitored, and you cannot take a video visit while driving.

Attorneys and Professional Visits

Attorneys create a personal ICSolutions account, then email a government ID and bar card to have it upgraded to professional status. Bob Wiley’s scheduling line for legal and professional visits is 559-735-1701, which is a different number from the main jail line.

Same-day appointments need a phone call, because the schedules print each morning. Legal visits are unlimited and do not count against the daily visit allowance. Contact or through-the-glass visits are arranged by calling the facility.

Visitors with disabilities are afforded the same visiting privileges as other visitors.