What You Can't Bring to Visitation at Pennington County Jail (and Where to Store Your Things)
Showing up with only what's allowed makes visitation go smoothly. Here's what Pennington County Jail prohibits in the visitation area, how screening works, and what to do if you want to leave something for a detainee.
Several everyday items can't go into the visitation area at Pennington County Jail. Hats, coats, hoodies, jackets, cell phones, and other personal belongings all need to stay behind. Travel light - you don't want to be juggling stuff at the door or risk a delayed (or denied) visit.
The facility has lockers where you can store belongings before entering the visitation area. That said, I recommend leaving anything you don't absolutely need at home or in your car - especially valuables. It keeps check-in quick and means one less thing to worry about during your visit.
Tip: Lockers are available for personal belongings, but the easiest visit is the one where you bring as little as possible.
You'll need to pass through a metal detector or be scanned with a handheld wand before visiting. If something triggers an alarm, staff will ask you to cooperate while they identify the cause. Keep metal items to a minimum and build in extra time - it helps you get through screening without the stress.
- ✓ Expect to go through a metal detector or be scanned with a handheld detector before your visit
- ✓ If the detector alarms, cooperate with staff as they work to identify the cause
- ✓ You won’t be allowed into visitation until you successfully clear screening
Staff can deny your visit if your clothing is considered inappropriate. When in doubt, go conservative - being slightly overdressed beats getting turned away at check-in.
Don't try to pass anything to a detainee during visitation. Visitors can't give items directly to detainees, and detainees can't accept items from visitors or hand anything back.
There is a proper way to leave something for a detainee - it just has to go through staff. Anything you want to leave must be routed through JSC staff for approval and documentation. Follow their instructions closely to keep things clear and avoid problems during your visit.
- Don’t hand anything to the detainee - items can’t be given directly, and detainees can’t accept anything directly from visitors.
- Tell staff you need to leave an item - anything you want to leave must be routed through JSC staff.
- Let JSC staff handle approval and documentation - staff will document the item and determine whether it’s approved.
- Follow staff instructions from there - how and when it’s accepted is controlled by staff, not during the visit.
Warning: Trying to pass items directly to a detainee can lead to a denied or ended visit. Use the JSC staff process so the item can be approved and documented.
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