How to visit, scheduling, dress code, and visitor requirements
Visits at Sheridan Correctional Center are scheduled online through SignUpGenius. Arrive at least 10 minutes before your time slot. Most adult visitors (other than legal visitors and government officials) must complete the Prospective Visitor's Interview (DOC 0148) before visiting. Bring two forms of identification, including a state-issued photo ID, and be ready to provide vehicle information. Visitors, vehicles, and personal property are all subject to search. You'll need to submit to a body search at the Visitor Center. Refusing a search or arriving intoxicated will get you turned away. The Visiting Room does not allow electronic devices, food or drinks, purses or bags, books or magazines, sunglasses, or personal keys. Small lockers are available. If you have a conviction or pending charges, you'll need written approval from the Chief Administrative Officer. Once approved at any IDOC facility, that approval stays valid across IDOC for the person's current incarceration.
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Sheridan follows Illinois Department of Corrections visitation rules, and two situations often trip people up: visiting when you have a conviction or pending charges, and wanting to see more than one incarcerated person in the same trip. Both require written approval ahead of time. Here's how to handle each so you don't get turned away at the door.
Your first in-person visit at Sheridan Correctional Center goes smoothly when you handle approval and paperwork before reserving a time slot online. Follow the steps below so you don't get stuck at check-in.
Your first in-person visit takes some prep, but it's straightforward once you know the steps: confirm you're approved, reserve a time online, and show up with the right ID and vehicle details.
Scheduling your first in-person visit at Sheridan Correctional Center takes some prep work, but it's straightforward once you know the steps. Complete the Prospective Visitor's Interview (PVI) first, then book your time slot online and show up with the right IDs and vehicle info.
Your first visit takes a few steps, but it's manageable once you know the order. Use the IDOC tools to confirm the facility, get on the approved list, complete the required first-visit form, then schedule your time online before you head out.
Visiting someone at Sheridan Corrections Center is straightforward once you handle approval ahead of time. Start with the visitor interview form requirement, then check whether you already have valid written approval from another Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) facility.
IDOC facilities are strict about what you wear into the visiting room. Show up in the wrong outfit and you'll be turned away—so get it right before you leave home.
Sheridan Correctional Center uses ICSolutions for video visitation. Once you know where to register and understand the scheduling limits, the whole process gets a lot easier.
Getting turned away at the door is frustrating, especially after you've made the trip and planned your whole day around a visit. Sheridan Correctional Center follows Illinois Department of Corrections visitation rules, with clear expectations for ID at check-in, clothing length and modesty, and searches.
Sheridan Correctional Center follows Illinois Department of Corrections visiting rules, and the dress code is one of the most common reasons people get delayed or turned away. Dress conservatively, follow the coverage rules below, and you'll save yourself a lot of stress at the door.
Your first visit can feel overwhelming, but packing for an IDOC visit is straightforward: bring the right ID, leave almost everything else behind, and be ready for screening at the door.
A smooth visit starts in the parking lot. Bring the ID the facility requires, keep your belongings minimal, and leave anything prohibited locked in your vehicle or a locker before you head inside.
Your first Illinois DOC visit goes much smoother when you handle paperwork ahead of time, bring the right ID, and show up with as little on you as possible. Here's what to bring, what to leave behind, what to wear, and what happens at check-in.
Heading to Sheridan Correctional Center for a visit? Pack light. Most everyday items aren't allowed in the Visiting Room, but small lockers in the Visiting Center let you store personal belongings.
Bring two forms of identification. One must be a state-issued photo ID, and you must have documentation that verifies your date of birth.
Yes, but you need written approval from the Chief Administrative Officer if you have a criminal conviction or pending charges. Once you are approved at any IDOC facility, that approval remains valid across IDOC for the person’s current incarceration.
Leave electronic devices, food or drinks, purses or bags, books or magazines, sunglasses, and personal keys outside the Visiting Room. Small lockers are available. You can be denied entry if you refuse a search or arrive intoxicated.
Sending mail to someone at Sheridan Correctional Center? Most personal letters, cards, and photos won't arrive as paper—they'll be delivered digitally. Here's how the scanning process works, what gets through as originals, and how to avoid unnecessary delays.
If your loved one is at Sheridan Correctional Center, most incoming non-privileged mail won't be handed over in its original form. IDOC scans that mail into PDFs, which your loved one can view on their bulletin board/tablet. There are a few exceptions to this process, and at least one format you should avoid sending entirely.
Sending a letter to someone at Sheridan Correctional Center? Here's what actually happens to it. For most regular mail, your loved one won't receive the paper you sent—they'll view a scanned copy on a tablet instead.
