What to Bring (and What Not To): Lockers, Medication, and Dress Rules for IDOC Visits
Your IDOC visit will go much smoother if you know what you can't bring into the Visiting Room. Here's how to avoid getting turned away: what's prohibited, how lockers work, medication rules, and what to wear.
Leave your electronics behind. Cell phones, tablets, smart watches - none of it is allowed in the Visiting Room. Secure them before you arrive so you're not scrambling at check-in.
- ✓ Food or drink
- ✓ Smoking materials (including tobacco)
- ✓ Currency (cash)
- ✓ Packages
- ✓ Purses or bags
- ✓ Books or magazines
- ✓ Sunglasses
- ✓ Personal keys
Note: Incarcerated people are strip searched entering and leaving the Visiting Room. Anything found afterward that wasn't there before counts as contraband and can result in disciplinary action.
Brought something you can't take inside? No problem. IDOC facilities have small lockers in the Visiting Center where you can store your belongings for free before entering the Visiting Room.
You can carry the locker key into the facility - but only after signing that you accept responsibility for the locker's contents. Basically, whatever's inside is on you.
Medication rules are strict. The only pills allowed are physician-prescribed heart medication in a properly labeled container, or a prescribed asthma pump/inhaler. Everything else stays outside.
Even permitted medication doesn't stay with you during the visit. Bring it in proper form, then hand it over at the officer's station in the visiting room. Staff will hold it there.
Length matters. Dresses, shorts, and skirts must reach the knee - no exceptions. If you're on the fence, go longer. Getting turned away after the drive isn't worth it.
Watch the fabric and cutouts. Sheer or see-through clothing isn't allowed. Neither is anything with holes, tears, or cutouts above the knee - even trendy distressed jeans.
Skip anything that looks like beachwear. Tube tops, halter tops, tank tops, swimsuits, and swimsuit tops are all off-limits. All visitors must wear underwear, and female visitors must wear a bra.
Quick Checklist
- ✓ Leave all electronics at home or plan to lock them up (no cell phones, tablets, or smart watches in the Visiting Room).
- ✓ Don’t bring prohibited basics into the Visiting Room: food/drink, smoking materials, currency, packages, purses/bags, books/magazines, sunglasses, or personal keys.
- ✓ Use the small Visiting Center lockers (no charge) to store anything you can’t take in.
- ✓ Carry your locker key only after you accept/sign for personal responsibility for the locker and its contents.
- ✓ If you need medication, only physician-prescribed heart medication (properly labeled container) or a physician-prescribed asthma inhaler is allowed; all other pills/medications are prohibited.
- ✓ Hand any required/lifesaving medication to the officer’s station in the visiting room to be held during the visit.
- ✓ Dress for approval: dresses/shorts/skirts must reach the knee.
- ✓ Skip see-through/sheer clothing.
- ✓ Avoid holes, tears, or cutouts above the knee.
- ✓ Don’t wear tube tops, halter tops, tank tops, swimsuits, or swimsuit tops.
- ✓ Wear underwear; female visitors must wear a bra.
- ✓ Don’t pass items to the person you’re visiting - anything found after the visit that wasn’t there before is considered contraband and may lead to disciplinary action.
Find an Inmate at Graham Correctional Center, IL
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
