Before Your First Prison Visit: What to Bring and What to Leave Behind
First visits go smoother when you plan for screening, bring the right ID, and keep your belongings simple. Use the lists below to avoid the most common reasons visitors get delayed or turned away.
Build extra time into your day. VADOC asks visitors to arrive one hour before the scheduled visit so you can get through security screening without feeling rushed. Before you drive out, check for facility-specific visitation updates. Posted notices can include cancellations and changes, like special video visit hours for certain housing units.
- ✓ Check facility visitation updates for cancellations or unit-specific changes before you leave.
- ✓ Plan to arrive one hour prior to your visit for security screening.
- ✓ Give yourself extra time for parking and the check-in process so you are not cutting it close.
Bring at least one valid photo ID, and make sure it matches the information on your visitation application. If your name, address, or other details have changed since you applied, sort that out before visit day. A mismatch between your ID and your application will hold you up at check-in.
- ✓ Driver’s License
- ✓ Passport (only for those who do not reside in the United States)
- ✓ Military ID
- ✓ Other official picture ID issued by a federal or state agency
Think "neck to kneecaps." Your clothing needs to cover from the neck down to the kneecaps, you must wear appropriate underwear, and footwear stays on at all times. That means no tank tops, tube tops, or anything that exposes your midriff. Bottoms that hit at or above the kneecap (short skirts, shorts) won't pass either. Skip see-through or very form-fitting clothing, including leggings. Stick with simple, conservative options that won't draw attention at the front desk.
Common turn-away issues: tops that leave shoulders or midriff exposed, skirts or shorts that sit at or above the kneecap, and arriving without shoes. When in doubt, cover up more than you think you need to.
ID 4
- ✓ Food
- ✓ Drinks (including water)
- ✓ Anything you were planning to buy from a vending machine (there is no vending access during visits)
If you're pregnant or have a medical condition that prevents you from going through the electronic scanning device, bring documentation from your medical provider. The paperwork should confirm you cannot pass through the scanner because of your condition. Staff will offer an alternate search procedure so you can still complete screening.
- Get a doctor’s note: It must state that the medication has to be maintained on your person.
- Contact the Facility Unit Head at least one week ahead: Ask for approval to enter the facility with medication.
- Bring only what was approved: Plan to follow the facility’s directions on how to carry and present the medication at screening.
- ✓ Make sure the minor is approved and attached to an adult visitation application.
- ✓ Know that minors who are immediate family are approved only for contact visits.
- ✓ Bring a completed notarized statement or a copy of a court order every time the minor visits (the accompanying adult must present it at each visit).
Plan these items early: Medical documentation, medication approval (at least one week ahead), and the notarized statement or court order for minors all take time to arrange. Keep your original paperwork with you on visit day.
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