Before Your First Visit to Western Illinois: What to Bring and What to Leave Behind
Your first visit goes a lot smoother when you show up with the right paperwork and as little extra stuff as possible. Use this checklist so you don't get turned away at the door.
First-time visitors need to complete a Prospective Visitor's Interview (PVI) form (DOC 0148). This applies to all adult visitors age 18 and older, with exceptions for legal visitors and government officials. If you've already been approved through the electronic PVI process, you may not need to fill it out again at the facility. But if this is your first visit, plan on this step.
Bring a current photo ID that shows your date of birth. Acceptable options include a driver's license, state identification card, or documentation of non-US citizenship such as a current passport, Visa, or Matricula. If your ID is expired or doesn't include your date of birth, you can be denied entry.
Prohibited Items
- ✓ Cell phones, pagers, and other electronic devices
- ✓ Food or drink
- ✓ Smoking materials
- ✓ Currency
- ✓ Packages
- ✓ Purses, bags, or sacks
- ✓ Books or magazines
- ✓ Sunglasses
- ✓ Personal keys
Good to know: Each facility has small lockers available at no charge for personal items you can't bring into the visiting room. You can carry the locker key into the facility after securing your items.
Infants
- ✓ Three diapers and wipes
- ✓ One blanket
- ✓ Two filled clear plastic bottles, or two sealed containers of baby food, or one bottle plus one sealed container of baby food
- ✓ One change of clothes
- ✓ One bib
- ✓ One pacifier
- ✓ One plastic spoon
- ✓ One clear empty cup with lid
- ✓ One coat or jacket and one hat
- ✓ One pair of gloves or mittens during appropriate weather
Note: These infant and toddler items must be stored in a clear bag or a plastic container.
Staff can turn you away if your clothing doesn't meet policy, so dress carefully. At Western Illinois, dresses, shorts, and skirts must extend to the knee.
Searches are part of the entry process. All visitors, their vehicles, and their property are subject to search. Refusing a search means you can be denied the visit, and your visiting privileges can be suspended or restricted.
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