How to visit, scheduling, dress code, and visitor requirements
Visits at High Security Center are a privilege—RIDOC administration can approve, deny, suspend, or revoke them. Before visiting, you'll need to clear both BCI and NCIC background checks to get on an inmate's approved list. Certain criminal histories or pending charges may require approval from the Assistant Director of Institutions and Operations (ADIO) or the facility warden. Bring acceptable photo ID; some forms (like Social Security or welfare cards) won't work. Sentenced inmates can have nine approved visitors plus two "money purposes only" names, and you can generally only be on one inmate's list at a time. Wardens set the schedule, but eligible inmates get at least three visiting periods per week of at least 1.5 hours each. Expect metal detectors and possible same-sex pat-downs. Only nitroglycerin is allowed as a life-saving medication—staff will log it.
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Having a criminal record, active probation, or a pending case doesn't automatically disqualify you from visiting Rhode Island's High Security Center—but you'll need to go through the right approval process. Here's how RIDOC makes the decision, what background checks are involved, and how being "immediate family" affects your path.
Trying to visit someone at High Security Center? The first thing you need to understand is the visitors list—there's a strict cap on who can be approved to visit, plus a separate category for people who can only deposit money.
If you have a criminal record or an open case, you may still be able to visit at RIDOC's High Security Center. But expect extra screening, restrictions, and possible approval requirements before you're cleared.
You must clear both BCI and NCIC background checks to be added to an inmate’s approved visitors’ list. If you have certain convictions, pending charges, a misdemeanor drug-related record, or you’re on probation, you may only be allowed to visit with ADIO or warden approval under RIDOC policy.
Sentenced inmates can have nine approved visitors plus two "money purposes only" names—people who can deposit funds but can't visit. You can generally only be on one inmate's list at a time. If you're removed from a list, you'll typically wait 30 days before being added to another inmate's list, with limited exceptions.
Bring acceptable photo ID—some forms like Social Security or welfare cards won't work. You'll go through a metal detector and may get a same-sex pat-down or hand-held wand search. Only nitroglycerin is allowed as a life-saving medication; staff will log and store it.
Want to put money on someone's account at Rhode Island's High Security Center? You've got a few RIDOC-approved options: online, by phone, at deposit kiosks, or in person at Inmate Accounts in Cranston. Here's how each method works, what you'll need, and how the 30-day grace period affects who can deposit.
Sending money to someone at Rhode Island DOC's High Security Center is straightforward once you know your options. Here are the approved deposit methods, what you'll need, and the mailing address for check or money order payments.
Your first visit to High Security Center goes smoother when you show up with the right ID and as little extra as possible. Here's what to bring, what to expect at check-in, and what will slow you down at screening.
