How Long the Visiting Application and Background Check Take at SICI (and What to Expect)
If you're trying to visit someone at South Idaho Correctional Institution (SICI), the biggest surprise is usually the wait. The application and background check take time. And if your loved one is still in reception or hasn't been classified yet, you may need to hold off before you even submit paperwork.
Every potential visitor at SICI has to clear two requirements: a background check and a visiting application. Even if you've visited at another facility or at a different time, don't assume you're automatically approved here. Plan on completing the full application process before you expect to schedule or show up for a visit.
Where you send the application matters. It must go to the institution where the resident is currently housed, not a different facility. Send it to the wrong place and you'll lose time sorting it out and resending it.
Not 100% sure where your loved one is housed right now? Use the IDOC resident/client search tool to confirm the institution. That same tool can help you check the visiting schedule tied to their current location, so you're planning around the right facility and the right days.
At SICI, the visiting application and background check normally take two to four weeks to process. That's the baseline for most families. If you're planning travel or coordinating time off work, build that processing window into your schedule so you're not caught off guard.
What to expect: Two to four weeks is a normal processing window, not a same-week approval. Timelines can still vary, so avoid making firm plans until you know you're cleared to visit.
If your loved one is new to IDOC custody and going through reception and diagnostic, visits aren't allowed during that period. It's frustrating, but it's a standard restriction while the facility completes intake processing.
For someone new to prison, hold off on submitting a visiting application until they've been classified. Classification determines where they'll be housed, and you need that information to send your application to the correct institution.
- ✓ Wait until the resident has been classified before submitting your visiting application.
- ✓ Use the IDOC resident/client search tool to confirm the institution where the resident is housed.
- ✓ Submit your visiting application to that institution (not to another facility).
If things feel stalled, or you need to confirm where the resident is housed, contact the facility's visiting staff. They can verify the housing location and the corresponding visiting schedule. This is also a good move if you're trying to line up your application timing with the right facility.
- ✓ Resident’s name
- ✓ Resident’s DOC/ID number
- ✓ Your full name
- ✓ The approximate date you submitted the visiting application
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