Before Your First Visit to Cheshire Correctional: ID, Arrival, and What Not to Bring
Your first visit to Cheshire Correctional goes smoother when you handle three things up front: confirm you're approved to visit, bring the right ID for everyone in your group, and leave prohibited items—especially electronics—at home.
Before you make the drive, confirm you're eligible to visit. You need to be on the incarcerated person's approved visiting list, and they need to have active visiting privileges. Not sure? Check with the person you're visiting or contact the Department of Correction directly. Better to find out now than get turned away at the door.
Tip: Confirm you’re approved to visit - and that the incarcerated person’s visiting privileges are active - before you travel.
Every adult needs a current photo ID. Staff at Cheshire Correctional check IDs at the front desk to verify you're on the approved list before letting you through.
- ✓ Valid birth certificate (required for visitors under 16)
- ✓ One additional document with the child’s name (for example: a report card or Social Security card)
Only two visitors are allowed per visit - and that includes children. Decide who's going in before you leave home, and make sure everyone has the right documents ready for check-in.
Show up at least 15 minutes before your scheduled visit to give yourself time to check in. Late arrivals risk a shortened visit - or getting turned away entirely. The facility runs on a strict schedule.
Plan for delays: Visits are time-limited, with built-in time for disinfecting before and after. Add extra travel time so traffic doesn't eat into your visit.
Cell phones and electronics aren't allowed inside. Leave them at home or lock them in your car before you enter - there's no place to store them at the facility.
- ✓ Cell phones
- ✓ Tablets
- ✓ Smart watches
- ✓ Portable chargers / power banks
- ✓ Cameras
Don't bring clothing to drop off or try to mail it in. The Connecticut Department of Correction doesn't allow family or friends to send clothing packages. Clothing is provided by the Department, and anything extra has to be purchased through commissary.
Want to send music or audio materials? Approved CDs can be purchased through commissary. Outside CDs or tapes have stricter rules: they must be educational or religious, can't duplicate items sold in commissary, and must ship directly from a commercial distributor.
In-person visits are currently limited to 30 minutes (until further notice). The facility uses this schedule to allow for disinfecting between visits. Go in expecting a shorter, structured visit.
Plan around holiday closures. No visits are held on state-observed holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Lincoln's Birthday, Washington's Birthday, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Reminder: Check the schedule before you go. Holiday closures can cancel visiting for the day, and the 30-minute limit is enforced to keep time for disinfecting.
Find an Inmate at Cheshire Corrections Inst, CT
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
