What You Absolutely Cannot Bring to Rogelio Sanchez State Jail (Contraband Checklist)
Visiting Rogelio Sanchez State Jail? Travel light. Here's a clear, TDCJ-backed contraband checklist so you don't get turned away at the gate—or end up facing something far worse.
Top Contraband
- ✓ Alcoholic beverages
- ✓ Controlled substances or any drugs
- ✓ Firearms or other deadly weapons
- ✓ Paper money (cash) if it’s brought onto TDCJ property with the intent to deliver it to an inmate
- ✓ Tobacco products
- ✓ Lighters
- ✓ Matches
- ✓ Cell phones (no cell phones inside the secure perimeter)
- ✓ Smartwatches
- ✓ Laptop computers
- ✓ Cameras
- ✓ Digital recorders
- ✓ Any other electronic or wireless devices
Leave your cash at home. TDCJ only allows coins - and no more than $35 worth. Paper money brought onto TDCJ property with intent to give it to an inmate counts as contraband. The simplest move? Leave cash at home or lock it in your car before entering the secure area.
The facility takes contraband prevention seriously - especially electronics. Cell phones, smartwatches, laptops, cameras, and digital recorders are all banned from TDCJ property. No exceptions. Staff can search you and your vehicle. The goal is simple: keep prohibited items outside the secure perimeter.
Note: Show up with contraband - alcohol, drugs, weapons, tobacco, lighters, cash meant for an inmate, or any electronic device - and you'll be denied entry. The item gets confiscated as contraband.
- Stop and follow staff instructions - if an item is flagged (often electronics like a phone), don’t argue or try to walk it back in.
- Surrender the item if you’re directed to - staff will tell you what they can accept, what must be removed, and what can’t enter the secure perimeter.
- Ask what your options are - if you need to secure the item elsewhere, ask where you’re allowed to put it before you continue.
Tip: Unsure about money or property rules? Call the unit before your trip. Better to ask than to arrive with something that gets flagged as contraband.
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