Bringing Children to Visit Someone at Oneida County Jail: What You Need to Know

Children ages 0–17 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian the entire time - both in the visitation lobby and the visiting room. The adult who brings them needs to stay and supervise from start to finish. You can't hand kids off to another family member once you arrive.

• ✓ Child’s proof of identity: birth certificate or passport
• ✓ If the child is visiting with a legal guardian (not a parent): custody paperwork

Keep two limits in mind when planning your group. First, only two visitors can be with an inmate at one time. Second, no more than four visitors total can be assigned to a single time-slot. If you're thinking about rotating adults in and out, expect the "two at a time" rule to be enforced in the room - even if four people are on the schedule. There's one exception for counting kids: infants under 1 year old don't count toward the visitor limit. Once a child turns 1, they count as a full visitor. Plan your group size accordingly.

Everyone has to stay seated during the visit - including children over one year old. If your child tends to wander, plan ahead so the visit doesn't get cut short.

Practical Tips Visiting with Children

• ✓ Bring the child’s birth certificate or passport
• ✓ If you’re the legal guardian (not a parent), bring custody paperwork
• ✓ Arrive at least 15 minutes early - late arrivals won’t be allowed to visit

1. Plan your group size around the count rules - Infants under 1 don’t count, but kids 1 and older do (no exceptions), so double-check your headcount before you go.
2. Set expectations before you walk in - Let your child know they’ll need to stay seated the whole time in the visiting room (this applies to children over one year old).
3. Bring “seated” distractions - Choose quiet, sit-at-the-table activities so it’s easier for your child to follow the seated-at-all-times rule.