What You Absolutely Cannot Bring to a Visit at Ouachita Parish Jail (and the Medication Exception)
Visiting someone at Ouachita Parish Jail goes smoother when you travel light. The quickest way to get turned away? Showing up with items that Louisiana's visiting rules treat as contraband—especially electronics.
Leave your phone in the car. Louisiana’s visitation rules treat cellular phones as contraband during visits, along with other telecommunications devices like pagers and beepers. Cameras and recording devices are also on the prohibited list, so don’t bring a camera “just in case” or assume you can keep it in your pocket - plan to arrive without any of it.
- ✓ SIM cards
- ✓ Portable memory chips (including SD-style memory cards)
- ✓ Global satellite system equipment
- ✓ Batteries (including spare batteries)
- ✓ Chargers (including phone or device chargers)
Don't bring anything extra
Cash trips people up too. Any currency or coin over the institution's allowed amount counts as contraband during visitation. Don't show up with a wallet full of bills and change - bring only what you're sure falls within the facility's limit.
There's a narrow exception for medication, but it's not a blanket "bring what you need" rule. Only prescribed medication that's life-saving or life-sustaining is allowed during a visit. Even then, you can only bring the quantity needed for the visit itself. Anything else - non-prescription meds, "just in case" doses, extra quantities - can create problems at check-in.
- Bring only the required dose - limit it to prescribed life-saving or life-sustaining medication, and only the amount needed for the length of the visit.
- Tell staff at check-in - advise institutional staff at the visiting desk that you are in possession of medication.
- Keep it straightforward - don’t conceal it or try to “sneak it through”; declare it clearly so staff can handle it the right way.
Note: If you have life-saving/life-sustaining prescribed medication, declare it at the visiting desk right away. For anything else you accidentally brought, ask staff what your options are before you go further - this medication exception is very limited.
In some situations, the Warden may authorize exceptions to normal visiting procedures. If you think you have a special circumstance, handle it the right way: ask ahead of time. Don't assume an exception will be made at the door.
Before you leave home, double-check the jail's current limits - especially how much cash (if any) you're allowed to carry in. State rules are clear that any currency or coin over the institution's allowed amount is contraband, and local limits can be stricter than you'd expect.
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