Before Your First Visit to Lebanon CI: Complete Pre-Visit Checklist
Your first visit to Lebanon Correctional Institution goes much smoother when you handle the paperwork ahead of time, dress appropriately, and leave prohibited items at home. This checklist covers the most common reasons people get delayed—or turned away at the door.
Before you plan the drive, make sure your visiting application packet is complete. Adult visitors need to fill out the visiting questionnaire (DRC-2096) - answer every question fully and truthfully. Leaving blanks or providing false information can get your application denied. You'll also sign the Declaration of Understanding (DRC-2554) and the General Visiting Instructions (DRC-2274). Submit everything by U.S. Mail, email, fax, or drop it off in person. Just know you can't visit until the application is processed and you've been notified of approval.
Include a clear, legible copy of your government-issued photo ID with your application. A blurry or hard-to-read copy can slow things down or cause approval problems. Take a minute to check that the photo, name, and other details are easy to see before you send it.
- Submit your completed packet - Send DRC-2096, signed DRC-2554, signed DRC-2274, and a legible copy of your government-issued photo ID by mail, email, fax, or drop-off.
- Wait for processing before you travel - Visitation won’t be granted until the application is processed and you’re approved and notified.
- Call to verify approval (10–14 business days later) - Follow up with the facility 10–14 business days after you submit to confirm you’re approved before you make the trip.
Dress Code
- ✓ See-through clothing of any kind (including torn/ripped jeans or holes where skin shows)
- ✓ Halter tops, tube tops, cropped tops, tank tops, or muscle shirts
- ✓ Outfits that inappropriately expose undergarments
- ✓ Skirts, dresses, skorts, shorts, or culottes with a hem/split above mid-knee
- ✓ Wrap-around skirts/dresses or break-away pants
- ✓ Clothing with gang-related markings
- ✓ Clothing with obscene or offensive pictures, slogans, language, or gestures
- ✓ Skin-tight clothing (including jeggings, leggings, spandex, or tights)
Tip: If your outfit falls into any of the categories above, you can be denied entry. When in doubt, dress more conservatively than you think necessary.
Leave all electronic devices behind - cell phones, smart watches, pagers, anything that communicates. Ohio law prohibits bringing cash and cellular phones onto detention facility grounds, and violators can face prosecution. Your safest bet: leave your phone and any cash secured elsewhere before you arrive.
Don't bring a purse, handbag, backpack, or similar bag into the visit. Plan ahead so you can carry only what's allowed without needing anything to hold it.
Warning: Ohio law specifically prohibits cash and cellular phones at detention facilities. Bringing them in can lead to prosecution - don't risk it.
Expect to be searched when you arrive. All visitors go through security screening, so build extra time into your day and keep what you bring simple.
- ✓ Hairpins
- ✓ Underwire bras
- ✓ Certain boots and shoes
- ✓ Clothing with multiple zippers
- ✓ Excessive jewelry
Hoping to hand your loved one a letter, photos, or money? You'll need to use the mail process instead. Visitors can't deliver packages, correspondence, money, or printed materials directly - all of it has to go through official mail channels.
Money deposits have their own rules. Only approved visitors can deposit funds to an incarcerated person's account, and you must use the approved ODRC process.
Before you head out, confirm you're actually approved to visit - submitting the application isn't the same as being cleared. Call the facility 10–14 business days after submitting your packet to verify approval. Then go in with a simple plan: dress to code, bring no electronics or bags, and expect screening at the door.
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