Before Your First Visit: What to Bring and What to Leave Behind for Oregon DOC Visits
Your first Oregon DOC visit goes much smoother when you bring the right basics—and leave the wrong items at home. Use this checklist to avoid getting turned away at the door.
Before scheduling anything, make sure you're on the adult in custody's (AIC's) approved visitors list. Oregon DOC's scheduling system might let you pick a time slot even if you're not approved - but you can still be denied entry at the institution if your name isn't on that list. Not sure? Check with your incarcerated loved one so you don't make the trip for nothing.
On the day of your visit (and ideally the night before), check the Visiting Alerts Calendar before you leave. Cancellations happen - sometimes planned, sometimes last-minute for security reasons. The calendar gets updated regularly.
ID Requirements
- ✓ If you’re age 15 or older, bring an acceptable photo ID: a driver’s license, passport, state ID card, military ID card, school ID card, or another official government ID card.
Stop - no blue or denim: Don’t wear any blue clothing or denim to an Oregon DOC visit. If you show up in blue and/or denim, you won’t be allowed into the facility.
Plan your outfit with visiting room rules in mind. Leave hats in the car - they're not allowed inside. Skip lined outer garments too. Raincoats, ski jackets, and other lined jackets aren't permitted in the visiting room.
Think about security screening when you get dressed. Metal buttons, body piercings, jewelry, underwire bras, and even some shoes can set off the metal detector - slowing you down or causing problems at check-in. Stick to simple clothing with minimal metal if you can.
Photos Infant Items
- ✓ Up to five non-Polaroid photographs (or five sheets of photographs) are allowed in the visiting room.
- ✓ All photos must leave the visiting room with you at the end of the visit.
- ✓ Two diapers (per child)
- ✓ One clear plastic bottle (per child)
- ✓ One single-layer blanket (per child)
- ✓ One pacifier (per child)
- ✓ Diaper wipes in a clear plastic bag (per child)
If you carry emergency prescription medication - like an inhaler or nitroglycerin tablets - bring it, but expect to leave it at the Sergeant's desk. That's required for security, so you won't have it with you in the visiting room.
Non-emergency medications are handled differently. Whether prescription or over-the-counter, they're not allowed in the visiting room - so don't plan on bringing daily meds inside.
- Talk to your doctor - if a medical condition makes it unsafe for you to walk through a metal detector, ask your doctor to complete the Metal Detector Medical Exception Form.
- Contact the facility to submit it - the form is used across Oregon DOC, but you’ll need to work with the specific facility to turn in the completed paperwork.
Lockers Items Leave Home
- ✓ Cell phones
- ✓ Pagers
- ✓ Any other electronic devices
- ✓ Weapons of any kind
Don't bring cash or other negotiable instruments into the visiting area. The one exception is a limited amount of change - but Oregon DOC materials list two different limits: $15 in quarters in one document, $25.00 in change in another. Verify the current limit for your facility before you travel so you don't arrive with too much and have to make a trip back to your car or a locker.
Practical Tips
- ✓ Confirm you’re on the AIC’s approved visitors list before you schedule (and before you drive out).
- ✓ Leave your phone and all other electronics in the car.
- ✓ Don’t wear blue or denim - bring a backup outfit in your car if you’re unsure.
- ✓ Bring your photo ID (required for visitors age 15+).
No smoking on state property: Smoking isn't allowed anywhere within a correctional institution or on State of Oregon property.
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