Visiting an Offender

Visits help to preserve healthy relationships between offenders and their family and friends. The Department strives to make these visits comfortable and pleasant.

Get facility visiting rules and schedules.

Please be advised: Unforeseen security problems may interfere with visiting, causing delayed, shortened, suspended or cancelled visits. This is unusual, but it does occasionally occur.

What are the scheduled visiting hours?

Visiting schedules vary among the facilities.  Check the facility pages for visiting rules and schedules. To ensure a positive visit, be aware of the dress code and all of the rules.

What are the requirements for visitors under the age of 18?

Get more information about minors visiting.

What are the requirements for visitors over the age of 18?

Before being placed on the offender’s visiting list, the approval process must be complete. It takes an average of 3 to 6 weeks for a visiting application (PDF) to be processed and a criminal background check to be completed. If you are approved, you will be added to the visiting list and the offender will be notified.

You must bring current photo identification (ID) to the visit: Driver's license, military ID, Indian tribal ID, state ID card, state or federal agency ID, or passport.

NOTE: Because work release facilities do not have access to the same visit records as in the prisons, a new application must be submitted when an offender transfers to or from a work release.

What items can I bring to a visit?

  • Bring limited items - $15.00 in change per visitor (or a vending machine debit card) for those facilities that have vending machines available.
  • Life sustaining medication needed during the visiting period (if the visitor provides proof of prescription).

You will be searched. Please be prepared.

All visitors, their belongings, vehicles, and any container and/or bag that are brought onto the institution grounds are subject to search.

Do you need help with transportation?

Several not-for-profit services are available to help you get to the institution.

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