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Before Your First Visit to Riverside: ID, Lockers, and Why You Need Quarters

Your first visit to Riverside goes smoother when you show up prepared: the right ID, the person's name and ID number, and a few quarters for the lockers. Here's what to bring, what to expect at check-in, and what to leave behind.

• 2 min read • phila.gov
Before Your First Visit to Riverside: ID, Lockers, and Why You Need Quarters

At check-in, you'll need to show government-issued ID. The officer will also ask for the name and ID number of the person you're visiting. Have that info ready - written down is fine - before you reach the front of the line.

What check-in feels like: You’ll be searched in a private room (you may be asked to loosen undergarments), and you’ll also go through a metal detector.

Once your ID is checked, you'll wait in a visiting area before being taken to Riverside. This is where you can store your belongings in a locker. The catch? Lockers require quarters, so bring them with you.

Bring quarters, not cash: There’s no change machine in the waiting room, so you’ll need exact quarters to use a locker.

Arrive at least ten minutes before your scheduled visit time. Check-in takes longer than you'd expect, and showing up right at your appointment time could mean losing your spot.

After an officer checks your ID, you'll wait in the visiting area and lock up your belongings if needed. Then you'll be taken to Riverside, where each visitor is searched in a private room before passing through a metal detector.

Before Your First Visit to Riverside: ID, Lockers, and Why You Need Quarters

Prohibited Items and Mail

  • ✓ Follow the dress code - if you don’t comply, your visit will be canceled.
  • ✓ Don’t plan to send hardback books - hardbacks aren’t allowed.
  • ✓ Don’t send packages - packages aren’t allowed.

Planning to mail something instead of bringing it on a visit? You'll need two things: the facility's address and the incarcerated person's ID number. Keep that ID number saved in your phone and written down somewhere - it comes up for both mail and in-person visits.

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