Mountain View Correctional Facility Visiting Hours. Visitor Application & Scheduling

Step 1. Apply as an Approved Visitor

Every adult who wants to visit, including immediate family, relatives, and friends, needs an approved application on file before scheduling a visit. Get the Adult Facility Visitor Application as a print version to fill out by hand, or an electronic version to complete on a computer and print. Only one adult per application; minors are listed on that adult’s application instead of filling out their own. Sign every page, then mail the completed form to:

Attention: Visits Mountain View Correctional Facility 1182 Dover Road Charleston, ME 04422

MVCF processes applications in the order they’re received. Residents are notified whether their potential visitors are approved or denied, so plan to hear back from your family member instead of the facility calling you directly.

Step 2. Schedule Your Specific Visit

Once you’re approved, book each specific visit one of two ways:

1. Call (207) 285-0816 Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., for the current week. If you need to change a scheduled visit, do it by calling again during the next appointment window.
2. Use the online visit request form, accepted starting each Sunday before the date of your visit request. Early requests submitted before that window opens will not be processed.

Both options are for scheduling a specific visit date and time only. Neither is for the visitor approval process itself, which requires the mailed application described above.

Visiting Hours

Day	Times
Saturday	2:00-3:30 p.m. and 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Sunday	2:00-3:30 p.m.

Arrive 15 minutes before your visit time to sign in and be seated. Visitors should remain in their vehicles until 15 minutes before the visit start time. Don’t walk around the parking lot or loiter near the facility entrance before then.

Visit Limits

Each visitor is allowed 1 visit per weekend and 2 visits per month. The Warden’s Office can approve exceptions to this limit. No more than 3 visitors may see a resident at one time, though a 4th visitor is allowed if that person is under age 6. You may visit only one resident at a time unless the Superintendent gives written approval otherwise.

Former Residents and People Under Supervision

Former residents of any MDOC facility must have been released for at least one year before being considered for visitation, and even then need written approval in advance from the Superintendent. This waiting period can be waived for relatives of the resident regardless of the former resident’s release date. Anyone currently on probation or parole must get written permission from both their Probation/Parole Officer and the Superintendent before scheduling a visit.

Getting There

Mountain View Correctional Facility is at 1182 Dover Road in Charleston, on Route 15, about 20 miles and 45 minutes from Bangor, and about 8 miles and 10 minutes from Corinth.

From the north or south:

• Take I-95 to Bangor, Exit 185.
• Turn right onto Broadway (Route 15), heading north.
• Continue through Bangor, Glenburn, Kenduskeag, and Corinth toward Dover-Foxcroft.
• Stay on Route 15. Do not bear right at the sign for Charleston Village.
• Mountain View is on the left at the top of a large hill.

Checking In and Security Screening

Adult visitors need valid government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license. Minor visitors may need a State of Maine ID or other government-issued identification, such as a birth certificate. MVCF reserves the right to search any visitor or vehicle it deems necessary, and residents may be searched for contraband at any time, during or after a visit.

Inside the Visit Room

A resident and visitor may briefly embrace or kiss at the start and end of the visit, and may hold hands for the rest of it, with both people’s hands visible at all times. Petting or sexual contact ends the visit. Unless a resident is otherwise restricted, they may hold their own minor children on their lap. The on-duty supervisor may assign seating, and if you’re the only visitor, you and the resident will sit across from each other. Residents sit facing the Visit Officer at all times and don’t move around the room or visit with other residents or their visitors.

Nothing is passed between visitors and residents unless cleared by the Visit Officer. Contraband, including weapons, drugs, alcohol, files, money, and tobacco, gets a visitor suspended from visiting and can lead to criminal prosecution. No loud or profane language. No cameras or cell phones, and no photographs anywhere in or around the facility. Visitors leave handbags, suitcases, briefcases, and anything not needed during the visit locked in their vehicles; jackets go in the prescribed storage area. Any items purchased from canteen machines must be consumed in the visiting room.

Dress Code

Acceptable:

• Jeans and slacks
• Skirts and dresses at knee length or longer
• Tops and shirts that are loose fitting and fully cover the upper torso

Not acceptable:

• Gym shorts, boxer shorts, or short-shorts
• Clothing with revealing holes
• Clothing referencing drugs, alcohol, sex, or violence, or containing vulgar or obscene language
• Bare midriffs, half shirts, halter tops, or tank tops
• Pajamas, lingerie, or see-through clothing of any kind
• Bare feet

Dress code rules may be waived for children ages 0 to 10 and adults 60 and older. If a visitor’s clothing is questioned, the Visiting Desk Officer notifies the Duty Sergeant, who does a visual inspection and decides whether the visit proceeds. If the visit isn’t allowed, the visitor is asked to leave the property. There is no appeal.

Children at Visitation

Visitors keep their children under close supervision at all times. Children may not climb on furniture, disturb other visitors, or sit unsupervised, and must stay seated near their parent or guardian. Food or drink isn’t allowed in the visit room, except infant nutrition.

A playroom is available for families with children under 12. It must be requested when you schedule the visit and is available in 45-minute blocks, with only one family using it at a time. A Playroom Rules Agreement must be signed before first use; refusing to sign means losing access to the playroom. Inappropriate behavior or rule violations can end playroom use, and the Visit Room Officer may terminate it at any time.

What’s Not Allowed

Anyone suspected of carrying a weapon, who appears to have been drinking, or appears to be under the influence of a controlled substance will not be admitted. Consuming or possessing alcohol or drugs on state property is a separate violation of state law. Passing contraband between a visitor and resident, including weapons, drugs, alcohol, files, money, or tobacco, leads to a visiting suspension and possible criminal prosecution.

Two Custody Units, Same Visiting Process

MVCF holds both a Medium Custody Unit (in the former Mountain View Youth Development Center building) and a Minimum Custody Unit with Community Custody housing (in the former Charleston Correctional Facility building). The visiting hours, application, and scheduling process on this page apply facility-wide. If you’re unsure which unit your family member is in, ask them directly or confirm with MVCF staff when you call to schedule, since it can help you plan around any unit-specific timing.

Conduct and Visit Rules

MDOC’s statewide Prisoner Visitation Policy, Policy 21.04 (AF), governs visiting across MDOC adult facilities, including MVCF. Visiting rules can change without notice. Confirm the person is still housed at Mountain View Correctional Facility before you travel by checking the resident search tool, since transfers between MDOC facilities do happen.