What You Can and Can't Bring to an IDOC Visiting Room: A Visitor Checklist
IDOC visiting rooms have strict property rules. The fastest way to lose time at the front desk is showing up with items you can't take inside. Use this checklist before you leave home, and plan to lock up anything that has to stay out of the Visiting Room.
Prohibited Items
- ✓ Cell phones
- ✓ Tablets
- ✓ Smart watches
- ✓ Food
- ✓ Drinks
Many everyday personal items can't go into the Visiting Room: purses and bags, books, sunglasses, and personal keys. The good news is you can usually secure those in a locker before you enter (details below). If you try to bring prohibited items past the checkpoint, or if staff considers something contraband, IDOC can restrict your visits. The Chief Administrative Officer has the authority to deny, suspend, or restrict visiting privileges for safety and security needs, space limits, disruptive conduct, abuse of visiting privileges, or violations of laws or departmental rules.
If you're an adult, bring your photo ID. IDOC requires all adult visitors to produce photo identification and verification of date of birth. Visitors under 18 don't need to show photo ID.
IDOC facilities provide small lockers for visitors at no charge. This is where you'll stash personal property that can't go into the Visiting Room: purses, bags, books, sunglasses, personal keys, and similar items.
Locker reminder: Once you lock up your items, you can carry the locker key into the facility. You're responsible for whatever you store. The facility does not assume responsibility for those items.
IDOC is very strict about medication in visiting rooms. No pills or medication of any type are allowed in the Visiting Room, with two exceptions: physician-prescribed heart medication and asthma inhalers.
Heart medication: If you need to bring physician-prescribed heart medication, it must be in a properly labeled container.
If something is treated as contraband, or if there's disruptive behavior, consequences can come fast. For a minor visiting-rules violation, the Visiting Room Officer will give one warning. Any further disruption gets reported. IDOC can send written notification of a temporary restriction of visiting privileges for up to six months. Separately, the facility's Chief Administrative Officer may deny, suspend, or restrict visiting privileges for reasons including security and safety requirements, space availability, disruptive conduct, abuse of visiting privileges, or violations of state or federal laws or departmental rules.
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