Trenton Visiting Hours. Contact Visitation Explained

Trenton Allows Contact Visitation

Trenton is one of SCDC’s contact-visit institutions. That means you and the person you’re visiting can share a brief embrace and a kiss at the beginning and end of the visit, and can hold hands during it, unlike SCDC’s non-contact institutions where visitors sit behind plexiglass the entire time.

Visiting Hours

Visitation happens Saturday and Sunday, in three scheduled 2-hour windows: 8-10 a.m., 11 a.m.-1 p.m., and 2-4 p.m. Inmates without visitation restrictions can receive up to 2 visits a week, capped at 8 visits per month. Trenton limits each session to no more than 15 visits at a time, so booking ahead matters here more than at some other institutions.

Hours can shift around holidays or during institutional lockdowns. Call (803) 896-3000 before you travel to confirm nothing has changed.

Step 1. Get on the Approved Visitor List

Before scheduling anything, you need to be on the inmate’s approved visitor list. Effective Feb. 12, 2026, SCDC replaced its old paper application (Form 19-127, mailed in by the inmate) with a single online application at scdoc.gtlvisitme.com/app. Apply there and upload a photo of your driver’s license (or a long-form birth certificate for a minor applicant). If you were already an approved visitor before this change, you don’t need to reapply.

If you have trouble with the online application, call SCDC’s Visitation Inquiry Line at (803) 896-1838, press 1, or email [email protected].

Step 2. Schedule Your Visit Through GTL

Book through the GTL scheduler at scdoc.gtlvisitme.com/app at least 15 hours ahead of your visit. Select Trenton, choose an open window on a Saturday or Sunday, and confirm. Arrive no more than 30 minutes before your scheduled time.

Who Can Visit

Each scheduled visit allows up to 4 visitors, at least one of whom must be an adult. Children of any age can join if they’re pre-approved and on the visitation list, along with an approved adult visitor.

What to Bring

Bring a valid photo ID. Vending machines in the visitation area accept debit or credit cards, no cash, consistent with SCDC’s statewide move away from cash and PayKeys at its vending machines. Phones, smart watches, and other wireless devices stay in your car.

What’s Not Allowed

Bringing contraband onto SCDC property, including drugs, alcohol, or weapons, is a felony and results in arrest. Beyond that, visitors cannot loiter, walk or travel the perimeter road, photograph buildings or fences, yell at inmates or staff, or bring anything to an inmate other than items purchased from the visitation room vending machines. Breaking a rule can end your visit immediately and lead to a suspension of visitation privileges.

If You Have Other Questions

Start by calling Trenton directly at (803) 896-3000. For general visitation questions not specific to Trenton, email [email protected] or call the Visitation Inquiry Line at (803) 896-1838, press 1.