How to Contact an Inmate at Winnebago County Jail, IL (IL)
Staying in contact with someone at Winnebago County Jail comes down to three options: scheduled video visits, phone calls, and mail. Here's how each one works, and what you need to do upfront so you don't get turned away or delayed.
All visits at Winnebago County Jail are done by video, not face-to-face. You'll go to the video visitation room at the Winnebago County Justice Center (650 West State Street, Rockford, IL 61102) to complete your visit.
Visits are only available on weekends (Saturday and Sunday), and they happen in scheduled time slots throughout each day. The inmate has to arrange the visit on their end, and visit requests must be submitted by 12:00 p.m. on the Thursday before the visit weekend.
Plan for a short visit. Both general population and segregated inmates get 15 minutes per visit, so show up ready to talk and make the most of your time.
Leave your cell phone somewhere safe before heading in. Phones are not allowed in the visitation area.
If you can't visit in person, you still have options. Winnebago County uses GTL for inmate phone service, with per-minute rates of $0.275 for intrastate calls and $0.21 for interstate calls. You can also send personal mail, though it won't be handed over as paper. Instead, it gets digitized and delivered to the inmate through their tablet.
Steps to Follow
- ✓ Ask the inmate to arrange the visit, since visits must be set up by the inmate
- ✓ Make sure the visit request is submitted by 12:00 p.m. on the Thursday before the weekend you want to visit
- ✓ Plan for a weekend visit only (the visit week runs Saturday through Sunday, with scheduled time slots)
- ✓ Keep your expectations realistic on time, since visits are limited to 15 minutes
- ✓ Go to the video visitation room at the Winnebago County Justice Center, 650 West State Street, Rockford, IL 61102
- ✓ Leave your cell phone out of the visitation area (cell phones are not allowed)
- ✓ For phone calls, use the jail’s GTL inmate telephone service (listed rates are $0.275/min intrastate and $0.21/min interstate)
- ✓ For personal mail, address it exactly as: Winnebago County Jail, Rockford IL, Inmate’s name, MID#, P.O. Box 247, Phoenix, MD 21131
- ✓ Remember that personal mail is delivered digitally to the inmate via their tablet
Before you lock in weekend plans, confirm the current visitation schedule and how time slots are being assigned. Double-check that the deadline is still 12:00 p.m. on the Thursday before the visit, and ask what the inmate needs to do on their end to get the request submitted correctly.
Confirm the visit length so you know what to expect at check-in. Visits are limited to 15 minutes, and cell phones aren't allowed in the visitation area. Plan to leave your phone behind and keep your conversation focused.
Rates and procedures can change. Confirm that GTL is still the phone provider and that per-minute rates are still $0.275 (intrastate) and $0.21 (interstate). For mail, verify that personal mail is still being digitized for tablet delivery, and re-check the required address format so the inmate's name and MID# are included.
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