What You Can't Bring to a Visit at Mansfield CI (and What Sets Off the Metal Detector)
Visiting someone at Mansfield Correctional Institution means going through a security screening. Every visitor entering an Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) facility is subject to search, and the facility takes a zero-tolerance approach to contraband, especially drugs, alcohol, and weapons. What you wear and what you leave in the car can mean the difference between a smooth check-in and a delayed or denied visit.
Note: ODRC states it has zero tolerance for conveying drugs, alcohol, and weapons into its institutions, and all visitors are subject to search when entering an ODRC facility.
Electronics
- ✓ Cell phones
- ✓ Smart watches
- ✓ Pagers
- ✓ Two-way radios
- ✓ Other electronic communication devices
Leave all electronic devices behind. The visiting instructions specifically prohibit smart watches, cell phones, and pagers. Contraband rules also list cellular phones, two-way radios, and other electronic communication devices as banned from prison grounds. If you're unsure whether something qualifies as a communication device, play it safe and leave it at home or locked in your vehicle.
Purses, handbags, backpacks, and similar items are not allowed into visits. Keep what you carry as simple as possible. One thing to have ready: a legible copy of your photo ID, which is required for the visitor application.
Tip: Bring only what you need to get processed. A clear, legible photo ID copy is required for the visitor application, and bags like purses and backpacks are not permitted.
Metal Triggers
- ✓ Hairpins
- ✓ Underwire bras
- ✓ Certain boots and shoes
- ✓ Clothing with multiple zippers
- ✓ Excessive jewelry
Even without any prohibited items, small metal objects can set off the detector and slow your entry. Hairpins and underwire bras are common culprits. Certain boots and shoes trigger alarms because of hidden metal parts, and clothing with multiple zippers or lots of jewelry can cause delays too. For the smoothest check-in, keep your outfit simple. Choose shoes without a lot of hardware, skip extra zippers when you can, and wear minimal jewelry. For hair, use non-metal alternatives if possible, since hairpins are specifically listed as a trigger.
What you wear matters. Mansfield CI follows ODRC visiting instructions on attire and screening. All clothing worn into the facility must stay on for the entire visit, with the exception of appropriate outerwear like a coat and gloves. Appropriate undergarments are required (for example, a bra, slip, and underwear). One more rule to plan around: no additional clothing can be carried into the visit. If you think you might get cold, wear layers you can keep on rather than trying to bring extra clothing in with you.
Tip: Pick conservative, straightforward clothing with minimal metal and no extras to carry. You must wear appropriate undergarments, and you cannot bring additional clothing into the visit.
If staff stop you because of something you brought or something flagged during screening, take it seriously. All visitors are subject to search, and ODRC enforces zero tolerance for conveying drugs, alcohol, and weapons into its institutions. At a minimum, expect delays and the real possibility that you won't be allowed in for your visit.
- Follow staff instructions right away , screening and searches are part of entry for all visitors.
- Assume your visit can be denied , if you have a prohibited item or cannot clear the screening process.
- Get your documents in order before you try again , the visitor application requires a legible copy of your photo ID, and arriving with extra clothing to carry in is not permitted.
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