What to Bring (and What to Leave Home) for Your First Visit to Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola)
Your first visit to Angola goes a lot smoother when you show up with only the few items actually allowed inside and leave everything else locked in your car. Use the checklists below so you don't get turned away at the gate.
Quick Summary Top5
- ✓ A wallet or clutch purse with no more than $300 in cash per family (that cash limit is enforced for the visiting area)
- ✓ A valid photo ID (visitors are required to show picture identification, and the acceptable types are specific)
- ✓ Baby essentials only if you’re bringing an infant, and only within the strict quantity limits (extra items can get you stopped at screening)
- ✓ Your car key (plan to leave other personal belongings locked in your vehicle, since only limited items are allowed into the visiting area)
- ✓ The facility address saved for navigation: 17544 Tunica Trace, Angola, LA 70712
Keep what you carry inside to the bare minimum. You're allowed a wallet or small clutch purse in the visiting area, but your family can bring no more than $300 in cash total. Everything else stays locked in your vehicle.
Baby Items Limits
- ✓ Up to four diapers
- ✓ Two jars of vacuum-sealed baby food
- ✓ Two bottles of milk or juice
- ✓ One change of clothing
- ✓ One diaper bag
- ✓ One baby blanket (maximum width or length cannot exceed 48 inches)
Have your photo ID ready every single visit. If you're 18 or older, you must show one each time. Accepted forms: a valid state driver's license, a valid state photo ID, an active-duty military photo ID, or a passport.
Verify the minimum age for photo ID before you go. Angola's guidance is inconsistent about whether visitors need photo ID starting at age 15 or age 18. If you're bringing a teen, call the facility ahead of time to confirm the current rule so you don't get turned away.
Plan your day around the bus cutoff. Visiting hours at Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola) are Saturdays and Sundays, 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. But you need to arrive before 2:00 p.m. That's when the last bus departs for the visiting area, and if you miss it, you're out of luck.
Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola) is located at 17544 Tunica Trace, Angola, LA 70712.
If it's not specifically allowed, leave it in the car. The facility takes contraband seriously, and visitation is a privilege. Break the rules and staff can end your visit immediately, revoke your visiting privileges, ban you from the grounds, or pursue criminal charges depending on the situation. Cell phones deserve special attention: family and friends are warned not to send or bring cellular phones to people in prison. Doing so can lead to prosecution, with penalties including a fine up to $2,000 and up to five years in prison.
Do not bring or send a cell phone. At Angola, introducing a cellular phone can lead to prosecution. Penalties may include a fine up to $2,000 and up to five years in prison.
Verify Before You Go
- ✓ Confirm the photo ID rule for teens (facility guidance differs on whether it starts at age 15 or age 18)
- ✓ Double-check your arrival plan so you are there before 2:00 p.m. (the final bus to the visiting area leaves at 2:00 p.m.)
- ✓ Make sure your ID is one of the accepted forms for adult visitors: state driver’s license, state photo ID, active-duty military photo ID, or passport
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