How to visit, scheduling, dress code, and visitor requirements
To visit at Menard Correctional Center, schedule your in-person visit online through the facility's SignUpGenius system. The sign-up times out after 30 minutes of inactivity, so have your details ready before you start. Adult visitors (18+) typically need to complete the Prospective Visitor's Interview (PVI) form (DOC 0148) before a first visit unless they're electronically pre-approved—English and Spanish forms are available online. For non-legal and non-government visits, the incarcerated person must add you to their approved visitation list and keep it updated. Bring two forms of identification (one must be a state-issued photo ID), provide vehicle information, and expect COVID-19 symptom and temperature screening. Electronic devices, food, drinks, bags, books, sunglasses, and keys aren't allowed in the visiting room. Small lockers are available, but the facility won't assume responsibility for stored items.
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
Getting approved to visit someone at Menard starts with the Prospective Visitor's Interview (PVI). Here's who needs one, how to handle the DOC 0148 form ahead of time, and what can slow things down or get you denied.
Menard Correctional Center uses the IDOC SignUpGenius system for scheduling in-person visits. Know where to sign up and follow the timing rules — otherwise you risk losing your slot and starting over.
Menard Correctional Center requires advance sign-up before you can visit. Start at the facility's SignupGenius page: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/menard.
Menard publishes different video-visit hours depending on where your loved one is housed. The key is knowing whether they're in the General Division or the Menard Medium Security Unit—then logging in early so you don't lose your time slot.
Video visits at Menard Correctional Center go through ICSolutions. No account there? You won't be able to schedule a visit.
Arrive at Menard Correctional Center at least 10 minutes before your scheduled visit time. That buffer matters—check-in and screening happen before you reach the visiting room, and showing up late can cost you the entire visit.
Schedule an in-person visit using Menard’s SignUpGenius scheduling link. The session times out after 30 minutes of inactivity, so gather the required information before you start.
For non-legal and non-government visits, you must be on the incarcerated person’s approved visitors list. If you’re 18+, you generally need to complete the Prospective Visitor’s Interview (PVI) form (DOC 0148) before your first visit unless you’re electronically pre-approved; English and Spanish forms are available online.
No. Electronic devices, food, drinks, bags/purses, books/magazines, sunglasses, and keys are not permitted in the visiting room. Free small lockers are available, but the facility does not assume responsibility for stored items.
When you send mail to someone at Menard, they might receive a scanned PDF on a tablet rather than the original paper. Here's how scanning works, what's excluded, how photos are handled, and what changes for books and magazines starting September 30, 2025.
If your loved one at Menard gets placed on
Mail at Menard follows Illinois Department of Corrections procedures. Know the timelines, what qualifies as "privileged," and how publications and certified mail work—and you'll avoid a lot of preventable delays and returns.
