What to Bring (and What to Leave Home) for a Deer Ridge Visit
A Deer Ridge visit goes much smoother when you know the rules that actually stop people at the door. Use this checklist to pack light, dress right, and avoid a wasted trip.
The biggest clothing rule at Deer Ridge? No blue, no denim. Adults in custody wear blue, so visitors in those colors get turned away at the door for security reasons.
Watch your outerwear too. Lined jackets - raincoats, ski jackets - aren't allowed in the visiting area, and hats can't be worn inside. If you're unsure about a jacket, leave it in your car and dress in layers instead.
- ✓ Neutral-colored shirt (not blue)
- ✓ Neutral-colored pants (not denim)
- ✓ No hat for inside the facility
- ✓ Leave lined outerwear (like a raincoat or ski jacket) in your vehicle
Bring a valid ID. Forget it, and you'll be turned away before you ever reach the visiting room.
Bring quarters if you want to use vending machines - up to $15 total. No other cash or negotiable instruments allowed. Quarters only, and stay within the limit.
Note: Make sure you’re on the adult in custody’s approved visitors list before you schedule. If you aren’t approved, the visit will be denied at the institution - even if the system let you book it.
Leave medications at home or secured outside the visiting room. Prescription, over-the-counter - doesn't matter. Unless it's emergency medication, it stays out.
Leave electronics behind. Cell phones, pagers, and other devices aren't allowed in the visiting area. Silence your phone and store it in your car before you head in.
- ✓ Weapons of any kind - don’t bring them to the facility
- ✓ Smoking of any kind - not allowed within the institution or on State of Oregon property
- ✓ Cash/negotiable instruments - not allowed (the only exception is up to $15 in quarters)
- ✓ If you bring prohibited items, you can be denied entry or required to secure the items before you’re allowed to proceed
You'll go through a metal detector. Metal buttons, body piercings, jewelry, underwire bras, and some shoes can set it off - think through what you're wearing before you arrive. If you have a medical condition or device that prevents standard screening, contact the facility about submitting a DOC medical exception form.
- ✓ Skip hats - you won’t be allowed to wear them inside
- ✓ Avoid lined outerwear (raincoats, ski jackets, and other lined garments) - leave them in your vehicle
- ✓ Keep metal to a minimum (jewelry, metal-heavy clothing/shoes) so you’re less likely to trigger the detector
- Confirm you’re approved before you go - check with the adult in custody that you’re on their approved visitors list; approval is required, but it won’t override dress-code rules.
- Fix what you can immediately - if you arrived in blue/denim or with a prohibited item, change clothes or secure the item before you try to enter.
- Have a backup plan - if you can’t correct it, be ready to reschedule, because you may be denied entry.
Warning: If you show up wearing blue and/or denim, you won’t be allowed into the facility.
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