Before Your First Visit to Forest City: A Complete Pre‑Visit Checklist

Before you plan a drive to Forest City, confirm the inmate's current location. Transfers happen. You don't want to find that out after you've already traveled. Start with the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Inmate Locator, which lists federal inmates incarcerated from 1982 to the present. Use it to verify where the person is housed right now. Keep in mind that the release date shown may be outdated - sentences are being reviewed and recalculated under the First Step Act. If you're taking time off work or making a long trip, double-check close to your travel date.

You can only visit if the inmate has put you on their approved visiting list and you've been cleared by the BOP. Showing up without approval means a wasted trip. The process starts on the inmate's side. They need to request and send you the Visitor Information form (BP‑A0629). Once you have it, complete it and submit it for approval.

1. Get the BP‑A0629 from the inmate - they initiate the process by requesting the form and providing it to you.
2. Complete the Visitor Information form and return it to the institution - this is required for you to be considered for visiting privileges.
3. Plan for a background review - submitting the form can prompt the institution to send inquiries to law enforcement or crime information agencies as part of the suitability check.

Once you've confirmed the inmate is housed at Forest City and you're approved to visit, check the visiting schedule before locking in travel plans. BOP institutions generally offer visiting hours on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays - some also have weekday hours. Forest City's schedule can vary, and changes happen. Verify the specific visiting days and hours before you go. That one check can save you from arriving on the wrong day or missing your window after a long drive.

Documents Dress Prohibited

• ✓ A valid, government-issued photo ID for each adult visitor
• ✓ A plan for security screening: by entering or attempting to enter BOP grounds, you consent to being searched under Bureau policy and 28 CFR Part 511; refusing a search can get you turned away
• ✓ Nothing on the prohibited-items list from the “Notification to Visitor” rules - this includes (but isn’t limited to) weapons, explosives, drugs, currency, cameras, recording equipment, telephones, radios, pagers, and electronic devices
• ✓ Any medication you’re carrying listed as required, with the expectation it must be left at the entry area

On the day you travel, do a quick final confirmation of the inmate's location if you can. Transfers happen, and this is the fastest way to avoid driving to the wrong place. Give yourself extra time to park, check in, and complete screening. Expect to be searched when entering BOP grounds - entry implies consent under Bureau policy and 28 CFR Part 511. Refusing can mean you're not allowed in. If you have medication with you, make sure it's listed as required and be ready to leave it at the entry area.