Before You Travel to Visit Someone in a Texas Prison: A Practical Checklist

Before you leave home, confirm the person is actually assigned to the unit you're planning to visit. Transfers happen. Showing up at the wrong facility means a wasted trip. Also verify they currently have visitation privileges. Being on the visitor list isn't enough - the person you're visiting has to be eligible to receive visits. TDCJ updates visitation information regularly, but eligibility can change without warning. Treat this as a required step, not optional.

1. Find the unit’s phone number - use the official unit contact information so you’re calling the correct front office.
2. Call for final confirmation before you travel - ask staff to confirm the visit time and whether anything has changed.
3. Confirm visitation hasn’t been canceled - even an eligible inmate can’t receive visitors if visitation is canceled.

ID and Checks

• ✓ Bring an acceptable photo ID.
• ✓ Keep your ID accessible for check-in (don’t bury it in a bag or leave it in the car).

Money Electronics Prohibited

• ✓ Bring no cash bills - if you bring money at all, it must be coins only, and no more than $35 in coins.
• ✓ Leave your cell phone behind - no cell phones are allowed inside the secure perimeter.
• ✓ Pack light and assume your property (and your vehicle) may be searched by unit staff, so don’t bring anything you wouldn’t want inspected.

Do a quick clothing check before you walk out the door. If your outfit is borderline, change. Dress code violations are one of the easiest ways to lose a visit. Once you arrive, follow staff instructions the first time. Something unclear? Ask politely before you act. It's much easier to fix a small issue early than after you've already been turned away.