Before Your First Visit to Jess Dunn: What to Bring, What to Leave Behind, and What to Expect

Before you can visit, you need to submit a Visitor Application Form. This is a separate step from what you bring on the day of your visit. If you're 18 or older, the application includes a background check, so plan ahead. It takes time to get approved.

Submitting a paper visitation application? Send it to ODOC headquarters in Oklahoma City. Address it to the Visitation Unit (not to the inmate) at: Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Attn: Visitation Unit, P.O. Box 11400, Oklahoma City, OK 73136-0400.

Two ID-related details tend to trip people up. First, the Visitor's Request Form requires a copy of the front and back of your driver's license or state-issued ID, submitted with the request. Second, all visitors age 18 and older must present photo identification to enter on the day of the visit. Acceptable photo ID includes a state driver's license, state, federal, military, or school ID.

For visitors 18 and older, background checks are required, and approval can take up to eight weeks. The inmate gets notified when the process is complete. Visiting privileges are approved or denied by the warden, so don't assume you're cleared until you have confirmation. If you have any receipt or paperwork showing you submitted your application, bring it along in case you need to reference it at check-in.

Treat this as a hard line. Do not bring your phone, smartwatch, tablet, or any other communications-capable device anywhere near the secure area. Leave it at home or lock it in your vehicle if that's allowed where you park. Don't try to "just keep it on you," and don't try to hide it. The risk is not worth it.

Expect to be searched as part of normal entry. Staff conduct pat searches on all inmates and visitors before visitation. Wear simple clothing and be ready for a hands-on screening similar to a basic security check.

Anything you carry in can be searched. Bags, purses, boxes, and similar items may be inspected. Vehicles and their contents may also be searched when entering the grounds. Refuse a search and you can be denied entry, which may lead to further action. The easiest way to avoid delays? Bring as little as possible.

Most visits only involve routine screening. But if staff have reasonable suspicion that a visitor is trying to introduce contraband, the facility can order a more thorough search.

1. Understand when it can happen - A strip search may be requested only when the warden (or a designee) determines there is probable cause to believe the visitor possesses contraband.
2. Know who conducts it - If a strip search is conducted, it is performed by two trained staff members of the same gender as the visitor.

Day of Visit Quick Checklist and Tips

• ✓ Submit the required Visitor Application Form well before you plan to visit.
• ✓ Bring an acceptable photo ID if you are 18 or older (state driver’s license, state, federal, military, or school ID).
• ✓ If you are submitting a Visitor’s Request Form, include a copy of the front and back of your driver’s license or state-issued ID.
• ✓ If you are bringing minors, bring documentation to verify guardianship (for example, a birth certificate or court or adoption papers).
• ✓ Leave your phone and any electronic communications-capable device at home (or secured away from the secure area).
• ✓ Expect pat searches before visitation.
• ✓ Be ready for possible searches of bags, purses, boxes, and even your vehicle, and understand that refusal can mean you are denied entry.
• ✓ Arrive early so you have time for check-in and screening.

Visitation hours aren't one-size-fits-all. They vary by facility and by an inmate's security level, so confirm the current schedule for Jess Dunn and the person you're visiting before you make the trip.