What to Expect at Check-In: Metal Detectors, Body Scanners, Searches and Exception Requests
Check-in can feel intimidating the first time, especially if you don't know what the screening process looks like. Here's what Missouri visitors are typically asked to do at the entrance, and how to handle a medical or pregnancy-related exception request.
Arrival Parking Entry
- ✓ Arrive no earlier than 30 minutes before visiting starts.
- ✓ Plan for first-come, first-served entry.
- ✓ Do not leave any person or pet in a vehicle on institutional grounds.
Missouri limits how early you can wait in the parking lot, so showing up too far ahead of time can actually backfire. Entry is first-come, first-served. Arriving within that 30-minute window gives you a fair shot at getting processed without rushing. One more thing to plan around: nobody (and no pets) can stay in the car on institutional grounds while you're inside.
Once you enter prison grounds in Missouri, expect security screening to apply broadly. You can be searched, and so can your packages, your children, and your vehicle. If you're bringing anything with you, assume it may be inspected as part of check-in.
Metal detectors: Every Missouri facility uses metal detectors during check-in. Plan to walk through one as part of the standard entry process.
- Take the towelette you are given - staff will provide it during screening.
- Wipe the front of your shirt - use the wipe across the shirt front.
- Wipe your pockets and your palms - include your pocket areas and the palms of your hands.
- Hand the wipe back for testing - the towelette is placed into an itemizer machine that checks for traces of narcotics or explosives.
Missouri uses the Intercept full-body scanner for visitors. Before your first scan, staff enter your name and ID number into the scanner system, and that information stays on file. Your visitor ID number doubles as your scanning ID number.
Who gets scanned: Anyone 18 or older is subject to a full-body scan unless they have an approved exception, such as a verified medical condition or pregnancy.
If you're 18 or older, plan on going through the full-body scanner unless you already have an approved exception for something like a verified medical condition or pregnancy. Missouri allows non-staff members (including visitors, vendors, and contractors) to submit an exception request to the warden or superintendent of the facility.
- ✓ If you need an exception, submit the request to the warden or superintendent of the facility before you show up for check-in.
- ✓ Bring any documentation you may need to support a verified medical condition or pregnancy, in case the facility asks for it.
- ✓ If you are unsure who to address the request to at the facility, ask staff for the warden or superintendent’s office contact process before your visit day.
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