Before Your First Visit to Montford Unit: What to Confirm Before You Go
A few quick confirmations can save you a long drive and a missed visit. Run through this checklist before you leave home to make sure you're cleared to visit and nothing has changed at Montford Unit.
Quick Checklist
- ✓ Confirm the inmate is currently assigned to Montford Unit and has visitation privileges.
- ✓ Call Montford Unit for final confirmation before you travel (online visitation info updates on a set schedule).
- ✓ Make sure you’re on the inmate’s approved Visitors List, and remember each inmate can have a maximum of 10 names.
- ✓ If you’re 18 or older, bring a current, official government-issued photo ID.
- ✓ Don’t bring cash - coins only, and no more than $35 in coins.
First, confirm the inmate is actually assigned to Montford Unit and has visitation privileges. Transfers happen. Even someone who's normally eligible can't receive visitors if visitation has been suspended. A quick check saves you from showing up at the wrong facility, on the wrong day, or during a lockdown.
Even if you checked online, call Montford Unit before you travel. Online visitation info updates on a schedule - once daily on weekdays, more often on visitation days - so it can lag behind real-time changes. A phone call is the most reliable way to confirm the schedule and make sure visits haven't been canceled.
Tip: Call shortly before you leave so you’re less likely to get caught by a last-minute cancellation or schedule change.
You must be on the inmate's official Visitors List to get in. TDCJ limits each inmate to 10 names on that list. If multiple family members want to visit, coordinate ahead of time so the right people are listed - otherwise you'll be turned away at the door.
Bring a current, government-issued photo ID if you're 18 or older. Staff verify your identity at check-in, and you won't get in without acceptable ID.
Bringing a child 17 or younger? Pack a backup ID just in case. If staff think the child might be older than they claim, they may ask for a birth certificate, DPS ID, or student ID.
Leave paper cash at home or locked in your car. Montford Unit allows coins only - no more than $35 in coins.
No phones: Cell phones are not allowed inside the secure perimeter during visits. Leave your phone outside the secure area.
If you’re unsure whether you’re approved to visit - or something doesn’t match what you expected - call the unit to clarify before you travel. And if you’ve been removed from an inmate’s Visitors List, you can submit a written appeal to the Director’s Review Committee within 14 days of the date on the written notice of removal.
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