Some South Carolina prisons will allow in-person visits this month, more than a year after officials canceled visitations due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Visitation will resume June 19 for vaccinated inmates at four minimum security institutions across the state, the South Carolina Department of Corrections announced in a news release Wednesday.
Visitors at these facilities must test negative for COVID-19 within three days of the visit, or provide a card indicating they have completed their coronavirus vaccine shots. The one-on-one visits must be scheduled ahead of time and are limited to an hour a week.
About two-thirds of people incarcerated at SCDC facilities have been offered the vaccine so far, with 54% choosing to get the shots, according to the agency.
The four facilities set to re-open for visits are Goodman Correctional Institution and Manning Reentry/Work Release Center in Columbia, Livesay Correctional Institution in Una and Palmer Pre-Release Center in Florence.
The corrections department said it will continue to suspend visitation, as well as volunteer, work-release and labor crew programs, at all other state facilities through the end of this month.