schedule visit harris county

Visitors must be appropriately dressed to include shirt and shoes.  Appropriate undergarments are required but should not be visible.  Clothing which unduly exposes the chest, stomach, or midriff is not allowed.  Prohibited garments include: halter or tube tops, transparent clothing, and any clothing with derogatory or offensive slogans/pictures. Visitation staff will determine attire appropriateness. Those not in compliance will be asked to change or leave the visitation center.

Visitor Customer Service

Available 8AM - 6PM EST Monday - Friday, 9AM - 6PM EST Saturday - Sunday

Visitor Support: (855) 208-7349

Schedule visits from your Android Phone or Tablet

If you have an Android device, you can now use GTL VisMobile to register online, schedule visits, and manage your visitor group. Download here , or search "GTL Vismobile" in Google Play . 

However, all visits must be completed on a laptop or desktop computer. Visitation software will not allow internet visits to be completed on a smartphone or tablet.

-Attention Visitors-

Visitors should only have ONE account per person. If you already have an account or have already visited but do not have an email address entered, please stop by the visitation center to get that taken care of so you can log on and schedule visits.

PLEASE NOTE WHEN SCHEDULING YOUR UPCOMING VISIT: After selecting the Inmate to visit, leave Location unselected and then please click Date and select your date.  Then click Search. This will populate the options (times and locations) available.  This will allow you to select and schedule your upcoming visit.

• Visitor ID or Email

• Get a Library Card
• Catalog and Account Guide
• Log In / Register
• My Library Dashboard
• My Borrowing
• Checked Out
• Borrowing History
• ILL Requests
• My Collections
• For Later Shelf
• Completed Shelf
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Passport Services

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Make an Appointment , opens a new window

Harris County Public Library is now offering passport services by appointment at eight branches across the county.

On this page, you will find all the information you will need to apply for a U.S. passport book and/or passport card. When you are all set, click the Make a Passport Appointment button.

Passport Forms

Click on the images below to visit www.travel.state.gov for more information and the appropriate forms.

Application for U.S. Passport (First Time Applicant)

Application for U.S. Passport by Mail (Renewals Only)

Application for U.S Passport Name Change or Data Correction

Report a Lost or Stolen Passport

Photos, fees and processing times.

You can have your photo taken at HCPL Passport Service locations for a fee of  $12.00.

You must submit one photo with your application.

Photos must be:

• 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm)
• Photos must be in color (black and white photos cannot be accepted)
• Photos must be printed on glossy or matte photo quality paper
• Your photo must have been taken within 6 months of your application submission and reflect your current appearance.
• If you wear glasses, take them off for the photo.
• You must directly face the camera.  Profile shots will not be accepted. Your expression should be neutral with both eyes open and directly facing the camera. Photos with exaggerated expressions and squinting will not be accepted.
• Your head should be between 1 inch and 1-3/8 inches (between 25 and 35 mm) from the bottom of your chin to the top of your hair. If you are submitting a digital image, then your head should be between 50% and 69% of the image's total height from the top of the head, including the hair, to the bottom of the chin.

For more information about passport photos, visit www.travel.state.gov's  passport photos FAQ .

IMPORTANT: Two (2) separate payments are required for each application

• Passport Fee : This fee varies, and it can ONLY be paid in check or money order. Checks/money orders are payable to the U.S Department of State.
• Acceptance Fee is $35.00. Make checks, money orders, or credit/debit cards payable to Harris County Public Library. Only exact change is accepted if paying cash. Passport photos are an additional $12.00 per application.

Fees associated with passport applications depend on many factors including the age of the applicant, the type of passport (book or card), and when the passport is needed. www.travel.state.gov offers a fee calculator to help you know exactly what you will need to pay based on your circumstances:  U.S. Passport Fee Calculator , opens a new window

Adult Applicants (16 years and older)

Adult renewals, all minor applicants (under 16), optional fees, locations & frequently asked questions.

FAQs: Passports @ HCPL

What is the passport card.

The passport card is the wallet-size travel document that can only be used to re-enter the United States at land border-crossings and sea ports-of-entry from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. The card provides a less expensive, smaller, and convenient alternative to the passport book for those who travel frequently to these destinations by land or by sea.  The passport card cannot be used for international travel by air.

Do all HCPL branches offer passport services?

Currently, eight (8) branches offer passport services.

Passport Service hours vary from location to location and are not the same as library hours. Visit the Passport Services page for more information

How do I apply for a passport card?

You use the same form that you would use to apply for a passport book (DS-11 or DS-82). There is a checkbox on the form for you to indicate that you are applying for a passport card.

If you already have a passport book and you are eligible to use Form DS-82 (renewal by mail), you may apply for a passport card using DS-82 even if this is your first passport card. Otherwise you will need to use form DS-11 to apply for a passport card.

Do I need to make an appointment?

Yes. Passport services are available by appointment only. Visit the Passport Services page to schedule an appointment.

Can I apply for the passport card and passport book at the same time using the same application?

Yes, simply check the appropriate box at the top of the form to indicate that you would like to apply for both products.

If you already have a passport book and are eligible to use  Form DS-82 , you may apply for your new passport card by mail using Form DS-82. You may renew your passport book at the same time using the same form.

What do I need to bring to my appointment?

This varies depending on the circumstances of the applicant, but for a standard passport application you will need the following:

• Completed Form DS-11 (with BLACK ink only).
• Proof of U.S. Citizenship
• Current government-issued photo ID AND photocopy of ID.
• Color passport photo (which can be taken at time of appointment for an additional $12 fee payable to Harris County Public Library)
• Passport Fee (check, money order only. Payable to U.S. Department of State)
• Acceptance Fee ($35.00. Checks, money orders, or credit/debit card payable to Harris County Public Library. If paying with cash, please have the exact amount).

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President joe biden to visit houston on thursday.

The Democratic president, who is seeking re-election in November, has been traveling around the country campaigning since his State of the Union Address on March 7.

President Joe Biden is expected to make a stop in Houston during a visit to Texas this week, according to an advisory from the White House.

The Democratic president, who is seeking re-election in November, is attending events in Dallas on Wednesday and in Houston on Thursday. The White House did not release additional details Monday about Biden's upcoming visit to Texas or his specific schedule.

Biden was last in Texas in late February, when he traveled to Brownsville and toured part of the U.S.-Mexico border. Republican Donald Trump, Biden's opponent in the 2020 presidential election and his likely opponent this November, was in another border town, Eagle Pass, on the same day.

Biden, who has been traveling around the country campaigning since his State of the Union Address on March 7, last visited Houston in February 2021 in the aftermath of a deadly winter storm marked by widespread power outages and damages to homes.

While Biden plans to be back in Houston later this week, a prominent local elected official traveled to Washington D.C. and was at the White House on Monday. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, a fellow Democrat, attended a Women's History Month reception attended by Biden, First Lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

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On Parkland visit, Kamala Harris announces initiatives to stem tide of nationwide gun violence

The Biden administration on Saturday unveiled two initiatives to stem the epidemic of gun violence during Vice President Kamala Harris’s visit to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, site of one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history.

Harris, who leads the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, toured the school building where a gunman opened fire, killing 17 people, including 14 students, on Feb. 14, 2018.

She was joined by family members of shooting victims, U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Parkland, whose congressional district includes the school, and Broward State Attorney Harold Pryor, along with members of his staff.

During her visit, Harris announced the launch of what administration officials say is the “first-ever National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center.” It will provide training and technical assistance to state and local governments to implement red flag laws. Funding comes from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which President Biden signed into law in 2022. It was one of the most sweeping pieces of gun violence prevention legislation to pass Congress in decades.

Red-flag laws, also known as extreme risk protection orders, are intended to temporarily remove guns from people with potentially violent behavior and prevent them from hurting themselves or others. Twenty-one states, including Florida, have such laws on the books, according to administration officials.

READ MORE: Parent of Parkland victim to urge VP Kamala Harris to boost school violence prevention programs

Harris, say administration officials, will also push the 29 states without red flag laws to adopt them and use federal funds to put them into effect. They also note that only six of 21 states with red flag laws have sought the $750 million available in federal dollars.

Red-flag laws have been touted by President Joe Biden and others as a powerful tool to stop gun violence before it happens. But an Associated Press analysis published in 2022 found such laws were often underused even as shootings and gun deaths soared around the country. The AP attributed it to lack of awareness or reluctance to enforce the laws.

One recent example happened last October in Lewiston, Maine, where police statewide were alerted about “veiled threats” by a U.S. Army reservist who would later carry out the worst mass shooting in the state’s history. It was one of a string of missed red flags that preceded the massacre, which left 18 people dead and 13 others wounded.

The visit by Harris comes at a time when gun-related deaths have risen to historic highs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last October released the latest data on U.S. firearm deaths, counting more than 47,000 — the most in at least 40 years.

Accompanying Harris on Saturday afternoon in Parkland will be Tony Montalto, whose 14-year-old daughter, Gina, was killed in the 2018 massacre. He’s also founder and president of Stand With Parkland , a group advocating for public safety reforms for students and staff at schools nationwide.

In an interview Friday on WLRN’s South Florida Roundup, Montalto said he will remind the vice president of the failures by police, school and government officials to prevent the mass shooting — and what can be done to stop such violence in the future.

“We're going to talk about what failed that day. What failed prior to that day. And what's been done, especially in Florida, to mitigate these tragedies and help prevent them,” Montalto told WLRN .

“We're pleased to still see school safety getting such a high amount of attention from the highest office in the land,” he said.

Linda Beigel Schulman told the Associated Press that the tour will show Harris the carnage a mass shooting creates — it no longer will be an abstract concept. Beigel Schulman's 35-year-old son, geography teacher Scott Beigel, was killed as he ushered students to safety in his classroom. The papers he was grading when the shooting began remain on his desk.

“She understands how important gun violence prevention is for us," Beigel Schulman said of the vice president. “But when you go into the actual building and see what actually happened, it doesn't matter that it is six years later, it really does something to you.”

Harris' visit will be the latest by elected officials and law enforcement and education leaders in recent months to the boarded-up, three-story building, which stands on the north side of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona toured the building in January and several members of Congress, mostly Democrats, have gone through since law enforcement returned custody of the building to the school district last summer.

When Harris goes inside, she will see bullet-pocked walls and floors still covered in dried blood and broken glass. Shoes left behind by fleeing students and wilted Valentine's Day flowers and balloons are strewn about. Textbooks, laptop computers and papers remain on desks. Only personal items such as backpacks and purses have been removed.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

VP Harris calls for more 'red flag' laws on visit to Parkland school massacre site

The building where 17 were killed at marjory stoneman douglas high school is scheduled for demolition this summer..

PARKLAND — Vice President Kamala Harris called on more states to pass "red flag" laws to curb gun violence as she toured the site Saturday of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre that left 17 people dead.

“There won't be complete agreement on all that must be done to address these kinds of tragedies,” Harris said, speaking in the Broward County school's gymnasium. “But there are some that frankly, to use a colloquialism, are just no-brainers.”

Harris met with victims' families Saturday afternoon at the high school where a gunman killed 14 students and three staff members on Valentine's Day in 2018. Walking with U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz , D-Coral Springs, and the group of family members, Harris went through the building of blood-stained hallways, where the scene remains untouched since the shooting.

The vice president described her walk-through as a moment “frozen in time,” where desks were positioned the same way they were, notes were scattered among desks and opened snacks sat on desks.

“The trauma that results from this kind of violence that takes place every day in America and in a profound number took place here six years ago,” Harris said. “Trauma that for the most part, though they will try to mitigate it, the pain will never completely be healed.”

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

In the gymnasium, Harris spoke about ways the Biden Administration aims to combat gun violence. One of them is through the launch Saturday of a National Extreme Resource Protection Order Resource Center. The Department of Justice center will help states and public agencies optimize the use of red-flag laws, which allow courts to issue orders for firearm removal from individuals at risk to harming themselves or others.

Harris also called for states without red-flag laws to pass them, and encouraged states that already have them to use the millions of available federal dollars set aside for that purpose. Of the 21 states that have red-flag laws, only six are using funds from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which includes about $750 million to implement state crisis-intervention programs.

Six years post-Parkland: Six years after Parkland: The complicated legacy of a shocking, saddening school shooting

Florida, which has a red-flag law, falls on the list of states Harris is calling out for missing out on federal dollars. Last year, Florida’s Democratic congressional delegation criticized Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis because the state did not apply for millions in federal outlays that could have been used for gun violence prevention.

Harris’ visit through Parkland high school's blood-stained halls

Harris is one of multiple elected officials who has scheduled a visit to the barricaded three-story Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School building. Since the shooting, the building hasn’t been touched so that the evidence could be used for court proceedings in trying gunman Nicolas Cruz. 

Cruz was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 2022.

U.S. lawmakers and officials, often Democrats, have traveled to Parkland frequently this past year to visit the untouched crime scene before its scheduled demolition this summer. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona visited the shuttered building earlier this year.

Visits to Parkland's crime scene: U.S. education secretary, top House Democrat tour Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting site

Moskowitz, a Democrat who represents Parkland, has spent much of his time in Congress bringing lawmakers to Parkland to tour the building. In a statement before Harris’ visit, Moskowitz described the site as a “literal time capsule of one of the worst mass shootings in American history.”

While serving in the state House, Moskowitz worked with then-Gov. Rick Scott and state Republicans to enact gun safety measures into Florida law after the tragedy.

Advocating for gun violence prevention since the Parkland mass shooting is a top priority for Moskowitz, who is a graduate of Stoneman Douglas. In Congress, he advocates for laws improving gun violence prevention efforts and touts Florida’s red-flag laws, which have been used thousands of times since their implementation, and which he helped craft.

Scott, who signed these gun safety reforms into law after the shooting, said in a statement before Harris’ visit that he continued to stand behind the reforms he made in 2018, but accused the Biden Administration of encouraging red-flag laws such as one in California that “abandons due process to more quickly and easily take constitutional rights away from law-abiding Americans.”

Stephany Matat is a politics reporter for  The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY -Florida network. Reach her at  [email protected] . Support local journalism:  Subscribe today .

Kamala Harris marks first visit to Puerto Rico as vice president, drawing some protests

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Vice President Kamala Harris visited Puerto Rico on Friday as part of a whirlwind trip to tout the federal aid the U.S. territory has received following deadly hurricanes and to attend a Democratic fundraiser.

Her visit comes days after President Biden visited Western states in a campaign tour targeting Latino voters ahead of the November general election. Although those in Puerto Rico cannot vote in U.S. presidential elections despite being American citizens, more than 5 million Puerto Ricans live on the U.S. mainland.

Accompanying Harris for the roughly five-hour visit to the island were Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and Housing and Urban Development Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman. Welcoming them was Gov. Pedro Pierluisi, a Democrat whose New Progressive Party has long pushed for statehood.

Harris’ first stop was to visit a new home in the northern municipality of Canóvanas, near the capital. It had been destroyed after Hurricane Maria hit the island in September 2017 as a powerful Category 4 storm, killing nearly 3,000 people in its aftermath.

En route, the motorcade passed people holding their phones up as it went by. Some onlookers leaned out of their cars to take photos as they waited for the motorcade to pass, while others stood outside businesses and homes as the motorcade continued. One girl held a sign imploring help to fix her home.

“I see we are making a difference. There is still more work to do,” Harris said as she stood on the lawn of the new home draped with a large Puerto Rican flag. “We are ambitious. Yes, we are impatient.”

It was Harris’ first visit to Puerto Rico as vice president. She visited as a U.S. senator in 2017 after Hurricanes Irma and Maria pummeled the island.

Harris said one of the ongoing challenges Puerto Rico faces is intermittent energy sources, with outages still occurring daily since Maria destroyed the power grid. She noted that the federal government has provided some $3 billion in reliable energy sources, including rooftop solar panels. It also shipped mega-generators last year to minimize outages.

“[This] is about an upgrade on quality of life and just the well-being and dignity of each family to be able to satisfy their basic needs,” she said, adding that hurricane resistance technology is being used. “Puerto Rico taught us some lessons.”

Meanwhile, Todman said that more than 6,000 homes have been repaired and more than 3,500 new units built since the devastating storm.

“It’s undeniable that more work remains to be done,” she said.

Reconstruction in the years following Maria was slow, in part given the spending restrictions that the Trump administration implemented at the time.

During Harris’ visit Friday, Pierluisi thanked her and Biden for their help: “They’re with us in connection with this reconstruction.”

Hours before Harris’ arrival, a couple of dozen protesters gathered in Puerto Rico’s capital to decry the island’s territorial status and demand a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.

“We find her presence disrespectful,” said Joselyn Velázquez, a protest spokeswoman, as a group around her waved Palestinian flags.

Nearby, one demonstrator stood on a U.S. flag while others gathered additional American flags and set them on fire.

“She is not welcome here,” said one protester.

After visiting the home in Canóvanas, Harris stopped by a community center in San Juan where a handful of protesters gathered, yelling, “Yankee, go home!” as supporters chanted, “USA! USA!” One protester held a sign that said “Kamala Harris war criminal.”

Harris later spoke at a campaign reception before flying back to the U.S. mainland Friday evening.

She addressed about a couple of dozen attendees gathered at an upscale apartment complex owned by developer Nicholas Prouty, who hosted the event. Harris thanked him and Pierluisi, noting that the governor “does not pass up the opportunity” to have a list of what Puerto Rico needs. “Mad respect,” she said.

Turning to the general election, Harris said, “We are going to win,” adding that “everything is at stake.”

“What we are looking at is fundamentally an election that’s going to require us each to answer a question,” Harris said. “What kind of country and world do we want to live in?”

Harris then talked about what she sees as Republicans’ “full-on attacks on fundamental rights,” adding, “But the thing about being a role model is people watch what you do to see if it matches what you say.”

She described Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, as someone who has expressed admiration of dictators and “someone who has, speaking of Puerto Rico, used words like ‘dirty’ and ‘poor’ and ‘corrupt.’”

More to Read

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Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility Remote Inmate Video Visits

Giles w. dalby correctional facility.

Address: 805 North Avenue F Post, TX 79356 Phone: 806-990-2175

Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility - Remote Video Visitation with your Inmate

Giles w. dalby correctional facility uses ic solutions for their remote video visitation services..

How it Works Register or Log in here. 

• Once you are logged into your existing IC Solutions account or have created a new account and are logged in, you must select Register for Video and enter the facility name.
• Select your Inmate.
• Fund your account using either a Visa, Mastercard credit or debit card.
• Schedule a Visit.

Registering and Scheduling Video Visits Instructions

'Understanding IC Solutions Video Visits' Instructions

Remote Visitation using the IC Solutions app Download your phone app: iphone Android Instruction for using the IC Solutions app 

Cost of a Remote Video Visit

• The cost for a remote video visit ranges from $7-10 for 20-25 minute visit. Rates are subject to change.

Video Visitation Rules Understanding the rules completely are the responsibility of both you and your inmate. Not knowing the rules will NOT be accepted as an excuse if you make a mistake and violate them. Disobeying them could result in being banned from have future visits. •    Any inmate or visitor whose behavior is disruptive during a visit may have his/her visiting privileges suspended/terminated. •    All visits are subject to monitoring and recording. •    All visits must be scheduled 6 hours prior to the appointment or up to 13 days in advance. •    You must check-in 15 minutes prior to the scheduled visit. •    Valid picture identification (e.g., driver's license, State I.D., or Military I.D. with picture) is required of all visitors, with the exception of children under the age of 17.   •    Visitors under the age of 17 must be accompanied and supervised by an authorized adult visitor. •    Visitors who 'arrive' after the scheduled start time may not be allowed to visit. •    Clothing must cover all private/sensitive body areas. •    The visitation schedule may be canceled or altered on holidays or for safety/security reasons. •    Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility can disconnect, deny, change, or cancel a visit at any time. •    Internet connectivity issues during offsite visits will NOT be refunded. •    Each visitation session will show a timer to display elapsed time. •    After your visit has ended your connection will be terminated automatically.

What is a video visit?

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 Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility 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.

What are the companies that work with the jails and prisons that allow video visits?

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 .

How to Send a Carepack Commissary Package Directly to an Inmate in Harris County

To send a commissary carepack (food, snacks and goods) directly to an inmate in Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility follow these steps:

• Select Texas, then select Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility, and then select the 'Send a Package Order' option.
• Register and create an account with Access Securepak, for Harris County.

• Choose the inmate and the products you want shipped to them, and input your payment method. 
• NOTE: There may be a limit on how much product you can send your inmate in Harris County at any one time.

For all information, tips and available items for shipping  Commissary  packages to an inmate in Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility check out our Commissary Instructions Page  for Harris County.

How to Send Money to an Inmate in Harris County

To send commissary money to an inmate in Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility follow these steps:

• Register with Access Corrections by creating an account.

• Select Texas, then select Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility, and then the inmate you want to send money to.
• Choose the amount of money you want to send, and input your payment method.

For all information on how to  Send Money to an inmate's account check out our full money and commissary guide for Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility.

What Kind of Mail can Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility Inmates Receive?

Postcards The Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility allows inmates to receive unlimited pre-metered postcards like the type purchased from the post office. They also allow certain photo postcards as long as they have not been tampered with or contain images that may be considered to be obscene or violent in nature.

Envelopes The Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility allows inmates to receive an unlimited amount of letters as long as they conform to the mail guidelines.  Letters should arrive in standard letter-sized envelopes and must have a complete return address, including your first and last name and address.

Newspapers You can purchase a newspaper subscription for an inmate but it must be mailed to the jail directly from the publisher and must include the Inmate’s Full Name, SPN, Housing Location & Cell Block.

Magazines Magazines are also allowed, but must be mailed directly from the publisher and include the inmate’s full name and SPN . Any magazine containing lewd photos, nudity, pornography, or anything promoting drugs or violence will be confiscated by jail staff and discarded.

Books If you wish to mail a book to an inmate you must have it sent from either the publisher or from a third-party vendor such as Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.  Books must NOT contain images or content that are considered excessively violent, pornographic or obscene. In addition, the contents cannot present a threat to the security of the facility. Any book that does not meet the Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility standards will be disposed of. Hard cover books will not be accepted by the jail due to their potential to be used as a weapon. All book shipments must include the inmate's name and SPN . You can also call 713-755-5300  to get the number.

Magazines, Newspapers and Books are mailed to: Inmate's Full Name, Full SPN Giles W. Dalby Correction Facility (PT55, PT56, PT57) 805 North Avenue F Post, TX 79356

For full information on all of Harris County Jail's Mail Policies, including photographs, mail tips, what you are not allowed to send and more, check out our Inmate Mail page.

How to visit an inmate in Harris County Texas using Video Visitation or visiting an inmate at the jail

To visit an inmate in Harris County follow these steps:

• In order to visit with your inmate online or at the Harris County Jail Video Kiosk, you must first register with IC Solutions .
• Once you are logged into your existing IC Solutions account or have created a new account and are logged in, you must select Register for Video and enter Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility.
• Then select your Harris County Inmate.
• Then fund your account using either a Visa, Mastercard credit or debit card.
• Lastly, schedule a visit.

For full instructions on all the benefits of using IC Solutions to visit a Harris County inmate, visiting an inmate at the jail itself, rates, policies, rules, dress codes, bringing children, attorney and clergy visits and more, go to our official  Visit Inmate  Page. 

How Do Inmates in Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility Make Phone Calls?

To receive phone calls from inmates in Harris County, or to assist them in making phone calls to other people, follow these steps:

• Giles W. Dalby Correctional Facility uses the services of IC Solutions .
• Register with them online or call them at  888-506-8407 . 
• Agents are available 24 hours a day, and speak both English & Spanish.
• Services for Harris County inmates and their families and friends include Collect Calling, PIN Debits, Purchasing Calling Cards, Voicemail & Prepaid calls.  In addition, IC Solutions provides secure messaging, sending photos, video phone calls and online deposits for inmates and their families in Harris County.
• Although rates are subject to change, they generally run about $0.21 per minute for phone calls.

Note: All your calls with an inmate are recorded, stored and shared with law enforcement if the conversation deals with your case or any criminal activity. Anything communicated can be used against you or your inmate in court.

For all the information regarding phone calls with Harris County inmates; rules, policies, phone calling times, limits and more visit our  Inmate Phone  Page.

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Kamala Harris' visit to Minnesota Planned Parenthood spotlights abortion: Recap

Vice President Kamala Harris visited a Planned Parenthood clinic on Thursday, a historic first as President Joe Biden and Democrats across the country zero in on abortion rights in the 2024 elections.

Harris walked through the clinic in Minnesota and spoke with staff members and health care providers. The Midwest stop is the sixth on her nationwide “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour.

The moment marks the first time a president or vice president has publicly visited a clinic providing abortion services while in office.

The vice president’s motorcade left the clinic and drove directly past a group of anti-abortion protesters, though supporters also gathered to try to catch a glimpse of the VP. At least one person also held a sign protesting the administration’s approach to Israel.

Catch up with the USA TODAY Network's coverage of Harris' visit.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

'We have to be a nation that trusts women'

Kamala Harris on Thursday hit out at lawmakers who have supported abortion bans across the country.

"In this environment, these attacks against an individual's right to make decisions about their own body are outrageous and in many instances just plain old immoral," Harris said at the Minnesota clinic. "How dare these elected leaders believe they are in a better position to tell women what they need, to tell women what is in their best interest."

"We have to be a nation that trusts women," she added.

– Marina Pitofsky and Sudiksha Kochi

Kamala Harris touts cancer testing, screening as Democrats focus on reproductive care in 2024  

In her remarks on Thursday, Harris highlighted the many services Planned Parenthood provides that are unrelated to abortion. She specifically called attention to the Pap smears and breast cancer screenings it offers patients across the country. Planned Parenthood centers also provides vaccines, diabetes screenings and menopause treatment, among several other forms of care. 

She said she believes shutting down clinics that provide those services was one of many “potentially intended” consequences of the the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022. 

“It’s a travesty,” she said. 

Harris added that she believes Democrats could pass further protections for reproductive health care if they are able to win back control of the House of Representatives in 2024. 

“My role is to do what I just did, which is to articulate exactly these points and to continue to articulate them and to organize folks around what I know is an issue that is impacting more people than you ever really know,” Harris said. 

– Rachel Barber  

‘Absolutely about health care’: Kamala Harris explains trip to abortion clinic  

Kamala Harris opened her remarks at the Minnesota abortion clinic by addressing the reason behind her visit: “Right now in our country we are facing a very serious health crisis,” she said. 

The vice president went on to say that many Americans are suffering after the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Republican-led legislatures in multiple states have since implemented their own abortion restrictions, which Harris said are not only preventing that procedure but also impeding other health care services for women. 

“And please do understand that when we talk about a clinic such as this, it is absolutely about health care and reproductive health care,” Harris said. 

– Savannah Kuchar 

Kamala Harris arrives at abortion clinic  

The vice president arrived at the Planned Parenthood St. Paul clinic just before 1 p.m. local time and shortly after landing in the state. 

Once there, she spoke briefly with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Dr. Sarah Traxler, the chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood North Central States, before moving into a tour of the facility. 

– Brianne Pfannenstiel and Savannah Kuchar

Planned Parenthood centers are targets for attacks  

In 2023, the FBI warned that Planned Parenthood clinics were under attack. The bureau asked for the public’s help while investigating a string of incidents intended to intimidate providers at centers nationwide.

The investigation was launched after a man set fire to a Planned Parenthood in Illinois days after the state enacted protections for abortion rights. 

Last year, two men were arrested and charged with  firebombing a California clinic in 2022. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, four people were also arrested in 2023 for targeted attacks on centers in Florida that took place in 2022. The defendants vandalized the clinics with spray painted threats reading “If abortions aren’t safe than neither are you” and “We’re coming for U,” according to the Justice Department.

According to the National Abortion Federation, 11 murders, 42 bombings, 200 arson attempts, and 531 assaults involving abortion patients, providers or volunteers have taken place since 1977. 

– Rachel Barber

Kamala Harris lands in Minnesota for historic abortion clinic visit  

The vice president landed in Minnesota just past noon local time. Upon arrival, Harris was greeted by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison. 

She left soon after in a motorcade bound for the Twin Cities clinic. 

– Savannah Kuchar  

Which states have restricted reproductive care after Roe v. Wade was overturned?

Dozens of states have imposed restrictions on access to contraceptives after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. 

For instance, a federal appellate court upheld a Texas state law requiring parental consent for minors seeking access to birth control Tuesday. 

Arizona Republicans blocked an effort from Democratic lawmakers to revive a bill that would protect the right to contraceptives in the state Wednesday, citing procedural grounds. 

Joe Biden issued an executive order last year aiming to strengthen access to contraception and family planning services. It also directed the Secretaries of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services Department to consider new actions to improve access to over-the-counter contraception.

– Sudiksha Kochi, Bayliss Wagner, Mary Jo Pitzl and Ray Stern

Why is Kamala Harris’ visit to Minnesota historic?  

Kamala Harris will tour a Minnesota Planned Parenthood clinic Thursday, marking what is believed to be the time a president or vice president has ever visited an abortion service provider. 

− Savannah Kuchar  

Protesters gather outside of Planned Parenthood

An hour before Kamala Harris was scheduled to speak, about a dozen protesters gathered outside a Minnesota Planned Parenthood, lofting signs with slogans such as, “life is a human right" and “the real war on women.”

A heavy police and Secret Service presence surrounded the building in anticipation of the vice president’s arrival.

− Brianne Pfannenstiel

What does Planned Parenthood do?  

Planned Parenthood is a nonprofit health care provider with nearly 600 locations across the country. According to the organization, more than 2 million people in the U.S. rely on Planned Parenthood for services each year. 

Patients can receive abortions, birth control, and emergency contraception from providers at Planned Parenthood, though it depends on the location. Its centers also offer STD testing, mental health care, prenatal, postpartum, and gender-affirming care and more. 

Planned Parenthood is a leading and controversial advocate in the fight for reproductive health access, rights, and education across the country. 

− Rachel Barber

Minnesota abortion laws: Are abortions allowed in the state

The Minnesota Supreme Court first recognized that the state’s constitution guarantees the fundamental right of privacy to choose between childbirth and abortion in the 1995 case Doe v. Gomez .  

The right to choose was further protected in Minnesota following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Gov. Tim Walz signed the Protect Reproductive Options Act into law in 2023. Although abortion was already legal in Minnesota, the PRO Act codified individuals’ right to make “autonomous decisions” about their own reproductive health. This included the right to use or refuse reproductive health care, continue a pregnancy, or receive an abortion. 

Also in 2023, Walz signed additional protections for those traveling from out of state to Minnesota for reproductive health care and the medical professionals who provide them services.  

Kamala Harris warns of a national abortion ban during visit to Michigan  

Kamala Harris appeared in Grand Rapids , Michigan late last month for an earlier stop on her nationwide “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour. 

There, she joined other leaders including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., for a roundtable discussion on abortion access. 

“This is a very real issue,” Harris said at the time. “And I thank again, the governor and Michigan Legislature, for all you have done. But do understand, the people of Michigan do not sit back and take comfort without also understanding that elections matter and that there is a full-on conservative effort to pass a national ban, which would mean the people of Michigan would not be as safe.”   

− Savannah Kuchar and Arpan Lobo

Alabama’s IVF debate adds new layer to abortion conversation  

The Alabama Supreme Court last month ruled that frozen embryos are legally protected as children , leading several facilities in the state to pause invitro fertilization services for people trying to have children. 

The court’s ruling, which referred to the embryos as “embryonic children ... kept alive in a cryogenic nursery,” led to widespread backlash and statements of support for IVF from both sides of the aisle. 

“The disregard for women’s ability to make these decisions for themselves and their families is outrageous and unacceptable,” President Joe Biden said in a statement at the time.  

"Make no mistake: this is a direct result of the overturning of Roe v. Wade.” 

Alabama lawmakers quickly passed new legislation protecting IVF providers and patients in wake of the national attention. 

Where do Joe Biden and Kamala Harris stand on abortion rights?

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have long called for the p rotections under Roe v. Wade to be reinstated. The landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision protected the right to an abortion across the country, though different states had varying restrictions.

The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, leaving abortion rights or restrictions up to individual states.

– Marina Pitofsky

Joe Biden called for expanding abortion rights in State of the Union address

Joe Biden called for protecting and expanding abortion rights across the country during his State of the Union address last week.

Kate Cox, a Texas woman who had to leave the state to have an abortion , was a guest in the audience during the speech. Biden told members of Congress and viewers from coast to coast that "What her family had gone through should have never happened as well. But it’s happening to too many others."

Kamala Harris to tour blood-stained building where 2018 Florida school massacre happened

• Associated Press

PARKLAND, Fla. — Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday is expected to tour the blood-stained classroom building where the 2018 Parkland high school massacre happened, accompanied by some victims’ family members who are pushing for stricter gun laws and improved school safety.

Harris’ visit will be the latest by elected officials and law enforcement and education leaders in recent months to the boarded-up, three-story building, which stands on the north side of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The tragic landmark has loomed over the school’s 3,600 students from behind temporary fencing since the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting that left 14 students and three staff members dead and 17 wounded.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona toured the building in January and several members of Congress, mostly Democrats, have gone through since law enforcement returned custody of the building to the school district last summer.

When Harris goes inside, she will see bullet-pocked walls and floors still covered in dried blood and broken glass. Shoes left behind by fleeing students and wilted Valentine’s Day flowers and balloons are strewn about. Textbooks, laptop computers and papers remain on desks. Only personal items such as backpacks and purses have been removed.

Former student Nikolas Cruz, then 19, fired about 140 shots from his AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle during his six-minute attack. He pleaded guilty in 2021.

“The building is a time capsule,” said Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Stoneman Douglas graduate who helped organize the visit. Harris, he said, will “learn about the failures of the building, the failures of the response to the shooting by law enforcement, the failures in the training of the teachers, the failures of threat assessments of the shooter and the failure of all the warning signs.”

Some Stoneman Douglas families who participate in the tours, along with President Joe Biden, want the sale of AR-15s and similar guns banned, as they were from 1994 to 2004, but there isn’t sufficient support in Congress. Opponents, which include other victims’ families, argue that such a ban would violate the Second Amendment and do little to stem gun violence.

Linda Beigel Schulman said the tour will show Harris the carnage a mass shooting creates — it no longer will be an abstract concept. Beigel Schulman’s 35-year-old son, geography teacher Scott Beigel, was killed as he ushered students to safety in his classroom. The papers he was grading when the shooting began remain on his desk.

“She understands how important gun violence prevention is for us,” Beigel Schulman said of the vice president. “But when you go into the actual building and see what actually happened, it doesn’t matter that it is six years later, it really does something to you.”

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Max Schachter, whose son Alex died in the shooting, uses the tours to persuade officials to enact school safety measures such as making doors and windows bullet-resistant. Alex, 14, died from shots fired through the window of his classroom’s door. Schachter said while there is disagreement over gun laws, school safety brings the sides together. He pointed particularly to a fall visit by Utah officials leading to that state enacting a $100 million plan to harden its schools.

“I couldn’t save Alex, but every time I have officials come through that building, lives are saved,” Schachter said.

During Harris’ visit, the White House says, she will announce a program to provide technical assistance and training to Florida and the other 20 states that have similar “red flag laws.” Florida’s law allows officers, with a judge’s permission, to temporarily seize guns belonging to anyone shown to be a danger to others or themselves. The statute has been used more than 12,000 times since it was enacted six years ago in response to the Parkland shooting. Harris also will call on states without red flag laws to adopt them.

The building where the Parkland massacre happened were preserved as evidence for the 2022 penalty trial of Cruz, who received a life sentence instead of the death penalty, angering the victims’ families. The structure also was saved for the trial of the school’s sheriff’s deputy, Scot Peterson, who was acquitted last year on charges that he retreated instead of confronting Cruz.

Cruz’s jury toured the building, but Peterson’s judge rejected prosecutors’ request to bring his panel to the school. The Broward County school district plans to demolish the building this summer over the objection of some victims’ families who want to show it to more officials.

Even officials who don’t support stronger gun laws learn from the tours, leading to better discussions, Moskowitz said. He believes there is broad support in Congress for increased school safety spending and a federal “red flag” law.

Cruz had a long history of troubling and bizarre behavior, including animal torture. In the weeks before the shooting, he had been reported to local law enforcement and the FBI by people fearing he was planning a mass shooting, but no action was taken. He legally purchased 10 guns in the 17 months between his 18th birthday and the massacre.

By TERRY SPENCER Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Our teams in over 100 countries tell the world's stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting.

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