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What Happens During the Drug Dog Search at Mass Treatment Center

Heading into Mass Treatment Center (MTC)? Expect a drug detection dog search as part of entry. Here's how it works—and what happens if the dog alerts—so you're not caught off guard in line.

• 2 min read • mass.gov
What Happens During the Drug Dog Search at Mass Treatment Center

Everyone entering Mass Treatment Center goes through a drug detection dog search - visitors, volunteers, staff, and contractors alike. Trained personnel walk the dog past the line on a leash, checking for illegal drugs before anyone gets inside.

  1. The dog alerts - If the dog indicates the presence of drugs, staff will stop the process for that visitor.
  2. Step out of line - You’ll be asked to move out of the line so staff can handle the situation privately and keep the line moving.
  3. Consent to a search - Correctional staff will ask you to consent to a search.
  4. Refuse and the visit ends - If you refuse consent, you will not be allowed to visit and you must leave the facility.

If drugs are found on you, the consequences are serious. You'll be barred from visiting DOC facilities, and you could face criminal charges. Not sure if something you're carrying might cause a problem? Leave it behind. One bad decision can cost you this visit and every future one.

What Happens During the Drug Dog Search at Mass Treatment Center

Prepare Visitors

  • ✓ Arrive prepared to go through a drug detection dog search - everyone entering the facility is subject to it.
  • ✓ Bring only items you know are permitted and keep what you carry to a minimum.
  • ✓ If the dog alerts, be ready to step out of line and follow staff instructions.
  • ✓ Understand that staff will ask for your consent to a search if the dog alerts.
  • ✓ If you refuse consent after an alert, you won’t be allowed to visit and you’ll be required to leave.
  • ✓ If you have questions about the process before you go, call the facility ahead of time.

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Bringing Your Child to Visit at Mass Treatment Center: ID Requirements and Consent Forms

Minors under 18 don't need pre-approval to visit at Mass Treatment Center. The key requirement is who brings them: your child must arrive with a parent or legal guardian who has physical custody, and that adult must already be on the inmate's approved visiting list.

How to Get Approved to Visit Someone at Mass Treatment Center (MA)

Getting approved to visit Mass Treatment Center starts before you ever set foot on the property. Here's the key: the inmate has to add you to their pre-approved visiting list first. That's their responsibility, not yours. Since approval takes time, start early. Make sure your loved one knows exactly who to include - full legal names and any details they'll need to match your application.

How to Get Approved to Visit Someone at Mass Treatment Center (MTC)

Getting approved to visit at Mass Treatment Center (MTC) is a paper process: your loved one adds you to their visiting list, and you submit a Visitor Application Form to MTC.