The Justice and Community Safety directorate said detainees were told social visits could begin again from Wednesday, September 9.

The Sunday Canberra Times last week reported detainees and their families were struggling with extended separation, which began when visits were suspended on March 22.

Dee, whose last name was not published to protect the privacy of her 24-year-old son who is a detainee, said it had been difficult for the whole family.

"You bring them into the world and you do your best to bring them up and now it's as if he's just gone," Dee said.

"He's my baby. I just want a hug."

Corrective Services commissioner Jon Peach said it was important social visits could recommence in a safe and gradual way.

"It is important that staff, visitors and detainees continue to show patience and understanding and work together for the health and wellbeing of all," Mr Peach said in a preface to new visit safety guidelines.

Under the new rules, visits will be limited to direct family and kinship relations, with one adult and child allowed in for each detainee. Visitors will have their temperature taken before being allowed entry.

Detainees will be able to have one social visit each week, which will need to be booked in advance, and no physical contact will be allowed between detainees and visitors.

Web-based video conferencing with detainees, which was introduced while in-person visits were banned, will also continue.

Prison outbreaks of COVID-19 have the potential to be deadly, as prison populations have higher rates of chronic disease.

In March, criminology experts called for the ACT to release prisoners identified to be low risk to make space in the Alexander Maconochie Centre to aid social-distancing measures.

The Healthy Prisons Review last year said there were about 470 prisoners in the centre, with double-bunking cells needed to make up the shortfall from 424 beds.