What to Bring (and What to Leave Home) When Visiting Someone in IDOC Custody
Visits go smoother when you show up with the right IDs and leave prohibited items in your car or a locker. Use this guide to avoid getting turned away at the Visiting Room.
Adult visitors need two forms of identification. You'll also provide vehicle information at check-in, so have your license plate number and vehicle details handy.
One ID must be a current state-issued photo ID. Show up with an expired photo ID or only one form of ID, and you could lose your visit before it starts.
IDOC requires current photo identification from adult visitors. A driver's license or state ID works. For non-U.S. citizens, a current passport, visa, or Matricula is acceptable. Bring documentation showing your date of birth too, since staff verify that during the ID check.
IDOC facilities have small lockers in the Visiting Center, free of charge. Use them for anything you can't take into the Visiting Room. Just know the facility won't be responsible for what you store there.
Locker reminder: You keep the key with you after securing your items. You're responsible for anything stored inside, not the facility.
Don't bring pills or medication into the Visiting Room. The only exceptions are physician-prescribed heart medication and asthma inhalers. Everything else stays outside.
Medication container rule: If you need to bring heart medication into the Visiting Room, it must be in a properly labeled container.
Electronics stay out of the Visiting Room. Cell phones, tablets, smart watches: leave them in your car or a locker.
- ✓ Food
- ✓ Drink
- ✓ Smoking materials
- ✓ Currency
- ✓ Packages
- ✓ Purses
- ✓ Bags
- ✓ Books
- ✓ Magazines
- ✓ Sunglasses
- ✓ Personal keys
Quick Checklist
- ✓ Bring two forms of identification (one should be a current state-issued photo ID), and be ready to provide vehicle information at check-in
- ✓ Leave electronics like cell phones, tablets, and smart watches out of the Visiting Room
- ✓ Plan to store personal items in the free small lockers if needed, and remember the facility does not assume responsibility for items left there
Find an Inmate at Murphysboro Re-Entry Life Skills, IL
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
