What to Know Before Your First Visit to MCF‑Stillwater: Appointments, Dress, Children, and Contraband

All visits at Minnesota DOC facilities, including MCF‑Stillwater, are by approved appointment only. You cannot just show up. Make sure your visit is approved and scheduled before you drive over. Visits are supervised and built around facility operations, so there's no flexibility on walk-ins.

If an in-person visit is hard to line up, video visiting is another option. Once you and the incarcerated person agree on a date and time, the visitor schedules the video visit through JPay.

Plan your arrival so you're ready to check in on time, but don't plan to wait in the institution parking lot. Minnesota DOC does not allow people to wait for a visitor in the lot, so time your ride accordingly.

Dress conservatively, for every age. Your clothing needs to cover your shoulders, upper and lower back, midriff, and cleavage. Staff can turn you away if your outfit doesn't meet the dress code, so pick something that clearly passes the coverage rules.

• ✓ Choose tops that fully cover your shoulders (skip strapless, spaghetti‑strap, or cut‑off styles)
• ✓ Avoid backless tops or low backs that expose your upper or lower back
• ✓ Skip crop tops or any shirt that shows your midriff when you move or sit
• ✓ Avoid low‑cut tops that show cleavage
• ✓ When in doubt, pick a more covered option so you do not risk being refused at the door

During Safe Visiting, physical contact is limited to a hug and a handshake at arrival and departure. The rest of the visit is no-contact, even if you're used to more in other settings.

The visiting room is supervised by staff who enforce contact rules and direct how the visit proceeds. If you're asked to adjust where you're sitting or how you're interacting, follow those instructions right away.

Contraband Common Examples

• ✓ Any controlled substances, including tobacco and tobacco-related products (lighters, matches, cigarette papers)
• ✓ Alcohol, drugs
• ✓ Firearms, weapons, explosives, or anything that could be used in a crime
• ✓ Escape material
• ✓ Money
• ✓ Chewing gum and any other food or drink products
• ✓ Cell phones and cameras
• ✓ All watches
• ✓ Wearable technology (including fitness trackers)
• ✓ Key fobs (including key and fob combinations)

Bringing contraband into the facility is prohibited. Even exchanging items in the visiting room without prior approval can be treated as smuggling. A contraband issue can end your visit on the spot and create problems for future visits.

Kids can absolutely be part of a visit, but there are specific rules about where they sit. Children age nine and under may sit beside the incarcerated person or on their lap. Only one child at a time is allowed on the incarcerated person's lap.

Have a simple supervision plan before you walk in so you're not scrambling in the visiting room. Keep children with you and under control the whole time. This also applies in the parking lot: you cannot leave minors in a vehicle.

Because visits are supervised and appointment-based, rule violations are handled right away. If a rule is broken or contraband is involved, expect staff to stop the behavior. In some situations, they'll terminate the visit and restrict future visiting.

What happens during a visit affects the incarcerated person too. Minnesota DOC rules place responsibility on incarcerated individuals to inform their visitors about the rules. Contraband issues can create disciplinary problems for them, not just for you.

Don't count on visiting on state holidays. Minnesota DOC lists no visiting on: New Year's Day (January 1), President's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, Memorial Day, July 4 (Independence Day), Labor Day, Veteran's Day (November 11), Thanksgiving Day and the following Friday, and Christmas Day (December 25). Some Challenge Incarceration Program locations have exceptions, so check the holiday schedule before you book.