How to get on someone’s approved visitor list at Lincoln Correctional Center (IL)

At Lincoln Correctional Center, you must be on the incarcerated person's approved visitation list to visit. The exceptions are legal visitors and government officials. Show up without being on the list? You can be turned away - even if you drove hours to get there. Treat getting on the list as step one, not a last-minute detail.

Here's a rule that trips people up: you can only be an approved visitor for one incarcerated person at a time. Want to visit more than one person in IDOC custody? You'll need prior written approval from the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).

Getting on the list is just the first step. Adults 18 and older - unless you're a legal visitor or government official - must complete a Prospective Visitor's Interview (PVI) form (DOC 0148) before or during your first visit. Show up without it, and you might not get in that day.

Your first visit is also an ID check. Adult visitors must present current photo identification - a driver's license, state ID, or acceptable non-U.S. documentation like a current passport, Visa, or Matricula. Your ID must show your date of birth. Visitors under 18 don't need photo ID.

A criminal conviction or pending charges won't automatically bar you from visiting - but you'll need extra approval. You can only visit with written permission from the facility's Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). Currently on parole or probation? You need prior written approval from both the CAO and your parole agent or probation officer. This catches a lot of people off guard at the gate, so handle it early.

1. Check whether this applies to you - If you have any convictions, pending charges, or you’re currently on parole/probation, plan on needing written approvals before visiting.
2. Get CAO approval in writing - A proposed visitor with a conviction or pending charges may visit only with the Chief Administrative Officer’s written approval.
3. If you’re on supervision, get your agent/officer approval in writing - People on parole or probation must have prior written approval from their parole agent or probation officer (in addition to CAO approval).

• ✓ Ask the person in custody to confirm in writing that you’ve been added to their approved visitor list (since the facility won’t confirm it by phone).
• ✓ If you’re an adult, make sure you’re ready to complete the DOC 0148 (PVI) prior to or at your first visit.
• ✓ Bring your current photo ID with your date of birth for your first visit so you don’t get stopped at check-in.

Practical Next Steps

• ✓ Have the incarcerated person add you to their approved visitation list (required for non-legal, non-government visits).
• ✓ If you’re 18+, complete the Prospective Visitor’s Interview (PVI) form (DOC 0148) prior to or at your first visit.
• ✓ Bring current photo ID for your first visit (driver’s license, state ID, passport, Visa, or Matricula) and make sure it includes your date of birth.
• ✓ If you have convictions or pending charges, get written CAO approval before you try to visit.
• ✓ If you’re on parole or probation, get prior written approval from both the CAO and your parole agent/probation officer before visiting.

Since staff won't confirm your visitor-list status by phone, don't count on a quick call the morning of your trip. Your safest bet: get confirmation directly from the incarcerated person (in writing) and arrive ready to complete the PVI with proper ID in hand. That way, you're not stuck at the front desk with no way to verify what you were told.

Want to visit more than one incarcerated person? Plan ahead. IDOC rules allow visitors to see only one individual at a time unless you have prior written approval from the Chief Administrative Officer.