Visiting checklist for FCI Mendota: how to get approved, what to expect, and what to bring/wear
Visiting at FCI Mendota is doable, but one rule trips people up more than anything else: you must be approved before you show up. Use this checklist to get on the visiting list, clear the screening process, and avoid common entry issues like dress code problems.
You cannot visit someone at FCI Mendota just by showing up. The person you want to see has to put you on their approved visiting list first. Then you need to be cleared by the Bureau of Prisons before you can actually walk through the door.
The approved list is something the inmate creates when they arrive at a new Bureau of Prisons facility. It can include relatives and other approved visitor types, not just parents, spouses, or children. Grandparents, uncles, aunts, in-laws, and cousins all count as relatives under BOP policy.
Step1 Form
- ✓ Complete the BP A0629 visitor questionnaire and release form and return it to the institution’s address.
- ✓ Provide your legal name and date of birth.
- ✓ Provide your current address (including ZIP code) and telephone number (including area code).
- ✓ Provide your race and sex.
- ✓ Provide citizenship information (for example, whether you are a U.S. citizen, and the form’s requested identifier details).
- ✓ State your relationship to the inmate.
- ✓ Answer the conviction history questions if you have ever been convicted of a crime.
- ✓ Answer whether you are currently on probation, parole, or any other type of supervision (and provide supervision contact details if applicable).
Warning: The BP A0629 form warns that false statements can lead to criminal penalties under 18 U.S.C. § 1001 (a fine and or imprisonment).
Fill out the BP A0629 carefully and answer every question truthfully. This form determines whether you will be accepted as a visitor. It also warns that false statements can lead to criminal penalties under federal law.
The BP A0629 is more than a basic information sheet. By signing it, you authorize institution officials to contact law enforcement or crime information agencies to check your suitability as a visitor.
That screening step is part of the clearance requirement. Even if the inmate adds you to their visiting list, you still need to be cleared by the Bureau of Prisons before you can visit.
Dress Behavior
- ✓ Revealing shorts
- ✓ Halter tops
- ✓ Bathing suits
- ✓ See through garments of any type
- ✓ Crop tops
- ✓ Low cut blouses or dresses
- ✓ Leotards
- ✓ 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 in the back, front, or side
- ✓ Clothing that looks like inmate clothing (khaki or green military type clothing)
Provocative or revealing clothing can get you denied at the door. The safest move is to dress conservatively and avoid anything on the "generally not permitted" list.
Brief physical contact is typically allowed only at the beginning and end of a visit. That means a handshake, a quick hug, and a kiss in good taste when you greet each other and when you say goodbye.
By law, an inmate receives at least four hours of visiting time per month. Most institutions provide more than that. However, the Warden has authority to restrict visiting, including limiting how long visits last or how many you can have.
Before you make the drive to FCI Mendota, confirm the facility's current visiting schedule and how check-in works on arrival. Verify where the BP A0629 should be mailed, what identification is accepted for entry, and how early you should arrive so you do not miss your visit window.
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