Providing regular, meaningful visitation, support and education services.
Transportation Program
AFOI Guidelines For Visiting-Day Transportation Services
Reservation and Visiting Information for Adult and Juvenile Facilities - revised 2/7/2007
ADULTS
New riders must make an appointment to come into office on a weekday to be registered for the program. You will not be allowed to get a reservation number on the day of the trip.
Please keep track of your Visitor ID Number. Reservations will only be accepted when you use your correct ID number.
We will issue you a laminated rider identification card upon intake. This card will have your name and reservation ID number on it. YOU MUST HAVE THIS CARD WITH YOU ON SATURDAY MORNINGS IN ORDER TO BOARD THE BUS. You must also have this card with you, per DOC and DJJ policy, in order to enter the facility for visitation. If you lose your card you must come to the AFOI office, during business hours, to be reissued a replacement card. Replacement cards will cost $5.00.
When leaving your reservation, please remember to speak clearly and slowly. Give your name and ID number, the names of the children you are bringing, the name of the prison, and your telephone number. If you leave out any of this information, your reservation cannot be recorded. We do not confirm reservations and will only call you if there is a problem with your reservation.
Reservations must be called into our office by 12:00 noon, the Friday before the trip. It is strongly advised that you arrive 30 minutes before the trip is scheduled to depart. However, you must arrive for your reservation at least 15 minutes before the trip is scheduled to depart. If you do not show up by that time, your seat may be given to someone on the waiting list. Cancellations must be called in by 12:00 noon the Friday before the trip to avoid penalization. We do not take reservations more than two weeks before the trip.
We ask that you be considerate of other visitors while waiting for your bus departure and during travel. There is no smoking permitted at AFOI or on the bus; no alcohol or obvious intoxication, no loud, abusive, or profane language. If we observe or hear a report that a violation of one of these rules has occurred, you can be suspended or permanently banned from riding the bus (length of suspension determined by AFOI Executive Director). Please show respect for yourself, the other passengers, and the children.
Remember to throw away your trash before you leave the AFOI dining room and before you exit the bus.
CHILDREN
Children must be at least one year of age and be able to walk by themselves in order to ride on the bus. We have this guideline because buses are not equipped with safety seats or seat belts. If the bus were involved in an accident, even a minor one, infants would be at risk of injury.
You are responsible for supervising your children while at AFOI, on the bus, and in the prison. You can make the visiting experience more enjoyable for yourself and your children if they are well rested and have eaten breakfast before the trip.
If you plan to bring children who are not your own, you must have a notarized statement from the legal guardian or parent giving you permission to bring the child. Please show us the authorization and to the officials at the facility you will be visiting.
FEES
Fees are paid on the day of your trip. Our fees are $6 for an adult and $1 for a child. The maximum for 1 adult and any number of children is $8. We accept cash only. No one will be waived from paying the fee. Please make your change request when you pay your fee. We prefer not to give out change any other time, as things get very busy and mistakes can occur.
WHAT TO TAKE WITH YOU
On the day of your trip, bring your current, state-issued photo ID card, your AFOI rider identification card. If you are traveling to a DOC facility you may bring $10.00 in change in a clear baggy or clear change purse. If you are traveling to a DJJ facility you may not bring any money with you for any reason. Purses, or any other valuables, are not the responsibility of AFOI, James River Bus Company, the bus drivers, Second Presbyterian Church, the Department of Corrections or the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Again, the prisons and juvenile facilities have very strict dress codes. You should not wear shorts, leggings, tank tops, or tank-style dresses, sleeveless shirts, button-down or wrap skirts. You must wear undergarments and a slip when wearing a skirt or dress (see DOC Visitor Dress Regulations or DJJ Visitor Dress Regulations for further information).
DINNER PROGRAM
We are very happy to have many volunteers who donate, prepare, and serve dinner when the buses return. Please remember that these individuals are volunteering their time and money because they care about you. They like to know that their efforts are appreciated. Please thank them before you leave.
INCLEMENT WEATHER
If the weather forecast is threatening (ice storms, snow storms, etc.), a message will be recorded on the AFOI voice-mail system. Please call AFOI at 643-2401 to see if a trip has been cancelled. Be sure to call the Friday before, or the Saturday morning of the trip before you come down here. Always listen carefully to the voicemail message.