What to Do If Your Loved One Loses or Damages Their Armband at Marion County ADC
At Marion County ADC, the armband isn't just a wristband — it's how the facility identifies your loved one. If it's lost, damaged, or unreadable, they'll need to request a replacement the right way to avoid problems, especially with commissary.
During processing at the Marion County Adult Detention Center (ADC), each inmate receives an ADC identification beacon tag and armband. That armband needs to stay on their wrist and remain visible the entire time they're in the facility. Because the armband is how staff identify inmates, a missing or damaged one can disrupt day-to-day services. If your loved one mentions their armband is falling apart, fading, or getting hard to read, take it seriously - the sooner they address it, the better.
The replacement process starts with the inmate. Your loved one needs to send an electronic message to the facility stating they need a new armband. This is the official method - waiting around, assuming someone will notice, or trying to handle it informally just drags things out.
Whether a replacement costs money depends on what happened. If the armband becomes undetectable due to normal wear and tear, Inmate Services replaces it free of charge. But if the armband was intentionally destroyed or lost, the replacement cost comes out of the inmate's account. That's another reason to report problems early - before a worn band turns into a missing one.
No armband means no commissary. If an inmate's armband is missing, defaced, distorted, or illegible, they won't receive their commissary items. Commissary day can come and go with nothing handed out until the armband issue gets resolved.
Practical Tips Families
- ✓ If your loved one says their armband is damaged or hard to read, tell them to send an electronic message right away requesting a new one.
- ✓ Encourage them to deal with a fading or worn band early - normal wear and tear replacements go through Inmate Services and are free of charge.
- ✓ If commissary is coming up, remind them they won’t receive commissary items without an armband that’s present and legible.
- ✓ If the band is lost, have them report it promptly so the replacement process can start (and so they’re not surprised by missed commissary).
Note: A missing or illegible armband will block commissary pickup at Marion County ADC. If your loved one has commissary coming up soon, getting the replacement requested quickly prevents a missed issue.
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