Address:
09-09 Hazen Street
East Elmhurt, NY 11370
Phone:
718-546-2020
The Rikers Island - George R. Vierno Center believes in the importance of their inmates having an opportunity to have visits from family and friends. When an inmate is released he or she needs to return home, and closeness to their family is one of the strongest reasons that keeps them from getting in trouble again.
One way that Rikers Island - George R. Vierno Center is able to accomplish this (or soon will be) is with remote video visitation. Remote visiting allows loved ones to use their phone or computer to connect directly with their inmate via a video kiosk in the jail or using tablets, all in a joint effort between the facility and a third-party service that specializes in this.
The benefits of video visitation are:
For more information on video visits, call the facility at 718-546-2020 or scroll down for a complete section of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers.
Televisiting will take place from 8:00am to 2:00pm on Saturday, and 8:00am to 2:00pm on Sunday. Televisiting follows the Department's existing in-person visit schedule, which organizes visit days based on the first letter of the person in custody's last name. Please refer to the Visit Schedule in order to determine which day of the week you may visit your loved one.
VISIT SCHEDULE (changes monthly)
In-person visits will take place Wednesday and Thursday afternoons from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.- and Friday mornings from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Visitors need to arrive 1 hour prior to their scheduled visit time. Visits will follow the existing visitor schedule according to the last name of the individual in custody.
Visiting groups may consist of no more than two (2) adults and one (1) child who will sit on one of the adult’s lap; or one (1) adult and two (2) children, at least one of whom is small enough to sit on someone’s lap.
Detainees may receive visits three (3) times per week. Sentenced individuals may receive visits two (2) times per week. All individuals in custody are limited to one (1) visit session per visit day, regardless of the number of visitors in that session.
It is strongly suggested that all visitors pre-register for their in-person visits.
Visitors who do not pre-register, and who do not receive confirmation of their scheduled visit, cannot be guaranteed a visit upon their arrival.
Visitors who do not pre-register also may not be able to wait inside, due to social distancing space constraints.
To pre-register for an in-person visit please click here.
NOTE: the start of visiting hours can be delayed due to unforeseen circumstances.
Facility lockdowns may affect regularly scheduled visit hours.
There are no visits on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Video visitation, also known as remote visitation, is quickly becoming the preferred method for visiting an inmate in jail or prison for the following reasons:
• It requires little to no staff, versus the staff required to move inmates to and from the visit and watch over the visit. It saves the Rikers Island - George R. Vierno Center money.
• It removes any opportunity for contraband (drugs) to enter the facility.
• It can become a profit center for the facility, given that the revenue generated by visits is shared with the jail.
• While inmates prefer to see family and friends in person, video visitation allows them to visit with them more often, and on a whim.
• Video visitation gives the inmates and their visitors the feeling of more privacy.
Video visitation from the perspective of the visitor allows them to visit from their home, their car, at work, and even allows them to take their device to a family or religious gathering. It allows them to give their inmate the feeling of belonging and not being forgotten.
Video visitation can take place on a computer, a tablet or a phone.
Video visitation saves time. Instead of spending hours driving to the jail, checking in, filling out paperwork, potentially being searched, waiting, and then having a 15–30-minute visit, if it isn’t cancelled at the last minute, the visit can be done from anywhere during a short break in the visitor’s day.
If the visitor does not have access to a phone or computer, they can make an appointment ahead of time and use terminals in the lobby of the jail.
You must also be on the inmate's approved list, even for a video visit.
There are several different companies that contract with all the jails and prisons that allow video visitation:
These are the companies in alphabetical order:
CIDNET
City Tele Coin
Correct Solutions Group
Correct Pay
Ctel
Gettingout
GTL
Homewav
IC Solutions
Inmate Canteen
Inmate Sales
iwebvisits
JailATM
Jpay
Gettingintouch (netvisit)
NCIC
Prodigy Sales
Reliance
Securus
Smart Communications
Tiger Services
Visitel
In addition, some jails use Microsoft Meeting and Zoom.
To rent a tablet for an inmate in New York County follow these instructions:
If you have any questions:
For all New York County information on Tablet Rentals for your inmate, check out our Tablet Rental Page.
To lean about inmate visitation in the NYC Correction Department, read the following:
TELEVISITING (Remote Visitation)
Televisiting will take place from 8:00am to 2:00pm on Saturday, and 8:00am to 2:00pm on Sunday. Televisiting follows the Department's existing in-person visit schedule, which organizes visit days based on the first letter of the person in custody's last name. Please refer to the Visit Schedule in order to determine which day of the week you may visit your loved one.
VISIT SCHEDULE (changes monthly)
In-person visits will take place Wednesday and Thursday afternoons from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.- and Friday mornings from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Visitors need to arrive 1 hour prior to their scheduled visit time. Visits will follow the existing visitor schedule according to the last name of the individual in custody.
To learn more about the Rikers Island - George R. Vierno Center inmate visitation procedures, polices and schedules, which change monthly, check out our Inmate Visitation Page.
To find out how Rikers Island - George R. Vierno Center makes phone calls, read this information:
For all the information on how to buy time, using tablets to make calls, how much it costs and more, check out out Inmate Phone Page.
To deposit money in the commissary account of an NYC DOC inmate, follow these instructions:
For all the information, including links to all of the online deposit methods and addresses fo mailing money orders, check out our Send Money Page.
For all the information about Rikers Island - George R. Vierno Center, how to reach an inmate there, how to find out if the inmate is there, or where he went when he was released, check out our Family Info Page.
To understand the Mail Policies for Rikers Island - George R. Vierno Center requires a lot of time and attention as NYC DOC Jails are some of the most permissive in America.
1. Rikers Island - George R. Vierno Center allows unlimited mail.
2. They allow packages to be sent in to inmates.
3. They allow magazines, newspapers and books to be sent direct from friends and family.
4. They allow clothing, jewelry, art supplies and all kinds of stuff to be sent to inmates.
In short, to fully understand the Rikers Island - George R. Vierno Center and see the full list of things you can mail to an inmate, check out our Inmate Mail Page.
To look up an inmate in Rikers Island - George R. Vierno Center or any of the New York City Department of Correction follow these instructions:
1. Proceed to the NYC DOC Inmate Locator Page.
2. Type in the inmate's first name, last name or case and book number.
3. If you just type in the first name or last name, you will see a list of every inmate that uses that name.
4. Select your inmate from that list.
For full instructions on how to interpret the information on the Inmate Search Locator including criminal charges, bail, court dates and more, check out our Mugshots Page.
Instructions for ordering commissary for Rikers Island - George R. Vierno Center will soon be announced.
The New York City Department of Correction is rolling out a new commissary system in the Spring of 2022. Inmates will be able to order commissary directly and have it delivered from an outside vendor. Stay tuned for updates.
This jailhouse 'Uber Eats' system will be replacing the current commissary system.
Stay tuned by checking out our Commissary Page for Rikers Island - George R. Vierno Center
To Bail out an inmate in Rikers Island - George R. Vierno Center or a New York City Jail follow these instructions:
1. You can post bail either online or in person.
2. To post bail online or in person you need the exact name your inmate used when arrested, and their book and case number. You can find this information here.
3. You can use one of multiple payment systems online.... Western Union, Moneygram or Jpay.
4. In person bail payments must be made in Brooklyn, Queens or the Bronx.
5. Personal checks or Money Orders exceeding $1,000 will NOT be accepted for bail.
For the complete information on how to bail out someone from Rikers Island - George R. Vierno Center or any Rikers island or NYC Jail, check out our Inmate Bail Page.
