What You Can't Bring to Middle River: The Complete Banned Items & Dress List
Middle River Regional Jail is strict about what comes through the door. Show up with electronics, tobacco, or clothing that doesn't meet the knee-length rule, and you'll be turned away. Repeat violations can get you banned from visiting altogether.
Think of your visit as an "empty pockets" situation. Cell phones, cameras, and electronic devices aren't allowed inside. The jail is also tobacco-free - don't bring any onto the premises.
- ✓ Cell phones
- ✓ Cameras
- ✓ Any electronic devices
- ✓ Tobacco (the facility is tobacco-free; tobacco isn’t allowed on the premises)
Reminder: Prohibited electronics or tobacco will be refused at entry. Leave them at home or locked in your car.
Middle River's length rule is simple but catches people off guard: dresses, shorts, and skirts must be no shorter than three inches above your knee. Think "modest," not "borderline." If you're torn between two options, go with the longer one. Getting turned away over a hemline is the easiest problem to avoid.
- Get dressed and stand normally - check your hemline in a mirror with your feet flat.
- Find your knee and estimate three inches - three inches is roughly the width of three fingers held together (or about half a smartphone’s height).
- Re-check while sitting - hems ride up; if it creeps above that three-inch buffer when you sit, it’s risky.
- Choose the safer backup - if you’re not 100% sure it meets “no shorter than three inches above the knee,” swap to longer shorts/skirt/dress before you leave.
Quick rule of thumb: If you have to tug it down, it's too short. Stick with hemlines that clearly land at least three inches above the knee - or longer.
All visitors are subject to search upon arrival. Keep what you bring to an absolute minimum - less to question, less to set aside, less to slow you down at the door.
Electronics are a common reason visits get derailed. Middle River doesn't allow cell phones, cameras, or any electronic devices, and screening catches items people forgot were in a pocket or bag. Do a final check before you walk in.
Warning: Violate visitation rules and you face a minimum 90-day ban. Don't gamble on "maybe it'll be fine."
- Empty your pockets first - before you leave home (and again in the car), make sure you don’t have a phone, camera, or any electronic device on you.
- Keep tobacco off the premises - the facility is tobacco-free, so don’t bring tobacco with you.
- Check hems before you walk out - confirm dresses, shorts, and skirts are no shorter than three inches above the knee.
- Carry as little as possible - with searches possible on arrival, less stuff means fewer snags.
Realize you brought something prohibited? Handle it before you reach the entry point. Head back to your vehicle and leave it there - especially electronics and tobacco. A small delay can save your whole visit.
Final check: No tobacco on the premises. No phones, cameras, or electronics inside. Dresses, shorts, and skirts must hit at least three inches above the knee - or longer.
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