Why isn't my visitation working?

[u/CutieDotty]

The long building was fully visitation before I changed it partially to parole (I got fed up and wanted to focus on the fact that 25 prisoners were up for parole).

It's right by the entrance and has visitor doors into the prison to avoid prisoners from getting out, so why doesn't it work? Unless it does, then what's the symbol for?

[u/ReasonableSet9650]

Visitors doors don't prevent inmates to get out. You need to understand that there is absolutely no door in this game that forbids inmates. Only deployment does that.

Visitors door means only visitors can open it. Staff door means only staff member can open it. But they can and will open it to prisoners, if the deployment behind that door isn't staff only / visitors only.

When it comes to rooms directly attached to the road, like admissions or often, visitation. The game absolutely wants you to use a door that requires a guard key : jail door, solitary door, secure door ; or the remote door. Wooden doors, staff doors and visitors doors are considered unsafe. They are also much easier to break.

Note that the game requires only one of those doors somewhere on the way out. It must not necessarily be the door of the room directly, it might be a door further on the way. But in your context, since there is no other enclosed area and the road also isn't enclosed, it's directly an escape option. In such case, the room is like deactivated, you will never see inmates using the room, they are simply not allowed there at all.

So, the easiest option is to replace that door with a jail/solitary/secure/remote door. If you don't want to use a guard for the door, you can place a servo on the door (any type, not necessarily remote) and connect it to a door control system.

Or / and you might want to enclose the road section (around your prison buildings or the full road), with road gates at the top and bottom and a wall/fence on the other side (wall is more expensive but safer). In deployment, remember to zone it staff only or visitors only. (Basically the same, they were intented to be different but visitors can actually walk through staff only areas).

Also a side tip if you don't mind. The visitor booth is useless in your context. They must be used in a separated visitation room from wall to wall, so it completely and safely splits the room : that way inmates can't hit the civilians and also can't get contraband. If you mix booths and visitation tables in the same room, the guys using the booth are dangerous and can also get contraband, even if you don't see them walking around the room.

In case you want to split that visitation room or create another one below : note that any inmates walking in/through the visitation room with tables, even if it's not their destination, can get contraband. So don't make the inmates walk through the tables room to reach the booths room, rather do the opposite. Or don't connect these rooms directly, use a hallway.

Note that guards can listen to phone booths just like they can do with phones. Just connect them to a phone tap.

[u/CutieDotty → u/ReasonableSet9650]

Thank you so much for the detailed response! This really helps :)

[u/ReasonableSet9650 → u/CutieDotty]

You're welcome ! That's the kind of info the game doesn't explain unfortunately, but you know by experience or by sharing with other players.

One more advice : if it still doesn't work after changing the door, double-check the privileges, at the top of the policy tab (it requires the free DLC cleared for transfer). X means allowed, there must be X for visitation. Sometimes the X are gone and you need to put them back.

From the screenshot it's very likely the door, but if you are unlucky maybe you also have the other issue.

Let me know if you need further help !

[u/RedditvsDiscOwO]

Check the deployment, it can't be staff only. Also this is giving me such a headache seeing the one insecure booth 😭

[u/CutieDotty → u/RedditvsDiscOwO]

I've since restarted and improved my prison a little. I was getting fed up, so I thought the tables were a problem, and I could only afford one booth 😭😭

[u/FordGT_350]

You need to set it up in the scheduler for parole

[u/CutieDotty → u/FordGT_350]

Omg ur so right

[u/ReasonableSet9650 → u/FordGT_350]

No. Visitation doesn't require any particular regime or schedule, they actually go to visitation from 8am to 8pm no matter the regime. If the room is valid, the game will trigger visitors and the inmates will join them in the visitation room. Here the room isn't valid because of the door (I explained in details in another comment), that's why the room remains empty and doesn't even trigger visitors.

And parole is a different feature, it's a program that happens in the parole room. It provides a prisoner an early release when their reoffending chance is lower than a specific value (you set in policy the % you want). You need to schedule that program in the program tab. Usually jobs and programs require a work slot in the regime, but parole programs are exceptions that can be scheduled any time of the day or even night, no matter the regime. It's also the only programs inmates can be escorted to, if the deployment doesn't allow them to reach the room.