What to Expect on Your First Visit to Mercer County Detention Center
Your first visit to Mercer County Detention Center goes smoother when you know what's coming—the check-in process, health screening, and visiting area rules. Here's what to expect so you don't get turned away at the door.
Mercer County Correction Center launched a provisional window visitation program on October 2, 2020. Visits are screened and non-contact - you'll talk through a window rather than sitting together. Need something outside the standard process? Special visits are possible, but they require approval from the Warden or the Warden's designee.
Before Home
- ✓ Bring an acceptable ID: driver’s license, welfare card, employment ID card, college/school ID, any state ID card, or a valid passport (no proper ID can mean your visit is refused).
- ✓ Make sure you’re on the inmate’s visitor list - upon admission, each inmate completes a visitor list with each visitor’s name, address, telephone number, and relationship to the inmate.
- ✓ Bring your own pen - there are no writing utensils available for visitors.
You'll start outside with the Outside Security Officer. They'll hand you a Visitor Pass form to complete before entering the lobby. Bring your own pen - writing utensils aren't provided.
During lobby check-in, staff will take your temperature with an infrared thermometer. Below 100.0°F and you're good to continue. At 100.0°F or higher, you'll be denied entry and asked to leave the grounds. Masks are mandatory throughout the visit - no exceptions. Both visitors and inmates must keep them on at all times. Remove yours, and staff can end the visit immediately. Worse, visiting privileges can be revoked for at least 30 days, potentially indefinitely.
Note: You and the inmate must receive disinfectant wipes before entering the window visiting area, and the visiting area is disinfected before the next group comes in.
After clearing the initial checks, you'll go through security before entering the visiting area. Expect a pat-frisk search. Visits happen in a screened (window) area - contact visits aren't permitted.
Inside the visiting area, follow staff instructions closely. If you’re assigned a seat, you must stay there - switching seats isn’t allowed.
Fail the temperature screening - 100.0°F or higher - and you won't be allowed in. You'll be directed to leave the grounds. Mask violations are taken seriously too. Staff can end your visit on the spot, and the facility can revoke visiting privileges for at least 30 days, up to indefinitely, for visitors or inmates who don't comply.
- ✓ Bring one of the accepted IDs (driver’s license, welfare card, employment ID, college/school ID, any state ID card, or valid passport).
- ✓ Bring a pen so you can complete the Visitor Pass form before entering the lobby.
- ✓ Wear a mask and keep it on for the entire visit.
- ✓ Don’t come if you’re running a fever - 100.0°F or higher means you’ll be denied entry.
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