Before Your First Visit to FCI McDowell: A practical checklist

Before you leave, call FCI McDowell to confirm the current visiting schedule: 603-342-4000. Schedules and access can shift without much notice, especially during lockdowns, severe weather, or other security-related disruptions. It also helps to read through the visiting regulations and check any state or local travel advisories while you plan. That way, when you call, you can ask specific questions about what's allowed and what paperwork you'll need.

• ✓ Confirm today’s visiting hours and any unit-specific schedule details
• ✓ Ask whether there are temporary restrictions or cancellations in effect
• ✓ Check for weather-related closures or operational changes
• ✓ Verify what paperwork or approvals you need to have completed before you arrive

You can only visit if the inmate has added you to their approved visiting list and the Bureau of Prisons has cleared you. Without that clearance, your trip ends at the front desk. If this is your first visit, give yourself extra time. The inmate needs to submit your name, and the clearance process has to finish before you travel.

1. Ask the inmate to add you to their visiting list: The inmate is the one who initiates the list.
2. Confirm the paperwork is submitted: Make sure the inmate has completed whatever is required to request you as a visitor.
3. Verify you’ve been cleared before traveling: Do not assume you are approved until the inmate confirms you are cleared by the BOP.

Read through FCI McDowell's visiting regulations and check any applicable state and local travel advisories before you head out. This is where you'll catch things that can derail a visit: rule changes, travel disruptions, or temporary restrictions. Once you've reviewed the rules, call ahead for the latest updates. That combination (reading the regulations, then confirming by phone) is the best way to avoid surprises at check-in.

Clothing is one of the easiest reasons to get turned away. Provocative or revealing outfits can result in denial of your visit, full stop. When in doubt, go conservative. Check the facility's visiting policy before you leave so you know exactly what's off-limits.

• ✓ Revealing shorts
• ✓ Halter tops
• ✓ Bathing suits
• ✓ See-through garments of any type
• ✓ Crop tops
• ✓ Low-cut blouses or dresses
• ✓ Leotards or spandex
• ✓ Miniskirts
• ✓ Backless tops
• ✓ Hats or caps
• ✓ Sleeveless garments
• ✓ Skirts two inches or more above the knee
• ✓ Dresses or skirts with a high-cut split (back, front, or side)
• ✓ Clothing that looks like inmate clothing (khaki or green military-type clothing)

Plan on being searched. By entering (or even attempting to enter) Bureau grounds or facilities, you consent to a search of your person and your belongings. Refusing a search means you won't get in, no matter how far you've traveled. Prepare yourself and anyone coming with you ahead of time, including what you carry and what you wear.

• ✓ Weapons
• ✓ Explosives
• ✓ Drugs
• ✓ Intoxicants
• ✓ Currency
• ✓ Cameras of any type
• ✓ Recording equipment
• ✓ Telephones
• ✓ Radios
• ✓ Pagers
• ✓ Electronic devices
• ✓ Mailing funds to the facility address (mail-in funds must go to the Des Moines processing center)

By law, an inmate is entitled to at least four hours of visiting time per month. In practice, there may be opportunities for more. However, the Warden can restrict visit length or the number of visitors allowed at one time, including to prevent overcrowding in the visiting room.