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rutledge-first-visit-checklist

Before Your First Visit to Rutledge: Essential Checklist and What Happens at Check-in

• 2 min read • gdc.georgia.gov
Before Your First Visit to Rutledge: Essential Checklist and What Happens at Check-in

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  • ✓ A photo ID (bring it to check in)
  • ✓ The offender’s GDC number (have it ready when you arrive)
  • ✓ Approval to visit: you must be on the offender’s approved visitation list and registered for the meeting

Rutledge State Prison posts visitation hours from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Saturdays, Sundays, and State Holidays. Plan around that window so you’re not rushing through check-in or arriving after the visiting period has already started.

Check-in happens at Building A. Have your photo ID and the offender's GDC number ready when you arrive - this speeds things up and keeps you from getting pulled out of line to look something up.

Note: GDC uses security procedures at check-in, so bring only what you truly need - think pen, paper, ID, and keys.

Wear comfortable clothing and shoes. You'll likely be walking or standing for a while, and discomfort makes an already stressful day feel longer. If you need physical assistance, let a GDC representative know during check-in - staff can help you get where you need to go.

Before Your First Visit to Rutledge: Essential Checklist and What Happens at Check-in

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  • ✓ Get approved before you go: fill out the Visitation Request Form and submit the completed form to the facility where your loved one is incarcerated
  • ✓ Arrive early so you have time for check-in at Building A
  • ✓ Keep your photo ID and the offender’s GDC number out and ready when you reach the front of the line
  • ✓ Bring only necessary small items (for example: pen, paper, ID, keys) to move through security faster

Time heads-up: Meetings with a GDC representative are limited to about 10 minutes. If the Commissioner is meeting with visitors, it's first-come, first-served - up to 18 people, 10 minutes each.

Make sure you're actually cleared to attend before making the trip. Family members and significant others must be on the offender's approved visitation list and registered for the meeting. Otherwise, you'll be turned away at check-in.

Still have questions - like whether visits are contact or non-contact, what you can bring, or how long each visit lasts? Call the facility before you go. A quick check can save you a wasted drive and a frustrating turn-around at the door.

Rutledge State Prison opened in 1976 and holds up to 640 people.

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