Frequently Asked Questions

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To make an appointment using VPASS, you must register for an account.  For more information and tutorials, visit the VPASS website.  If you make an appointment, but change your plans, please cancel the appointment so the spot becomes available for others who would like to visit.  If there are no appointments available when you try to make your appointment, check back frequently as the site is real-time and slots become available if appointments are cancelled.  When you visit, YOU MAY BRING YOUR PRINTED VPASS CONFIRMATION WITH YOU, HOWEVER IT IS NOT REQUIRED.

NOTE: IF YOU DO NOT ARRIVE ON TIME FOR YOUR SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT, YOU WILL BE PROCESSED AS A WALK-IN.

Visiting is available on Saturdays, Sundays, New Year's Day, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

What to Wear 

The allowable dress code for California prisons can be found in the CDCR Department Operations Manual (DOM). The dress code is somewhat subjective by the visiting staff, so if you feel you are complying with the dress code but asked to change clothing, please let a member of your local IFC know so it can be addressed.  The key is to dress conservatively.  Do not wear any blue denim.  It is recommended that you avoid solid blue in any shade for shirts or pants.  Title 15 states that you may not wear anything resembling what an inmate wears to visiting. Visitors shall remain fully clothed when visiting! Visitors must go through metal detection device(s) successfully. No underwire bras, zippers are ok, however, some pants have metal rivets that may not clear. Jewelry is ok,  however, at times you may need to be removed to clear metal detectors. Hats, gloves & scarves only allowed Oct through March, unless a medical note from doctor is provided.

Appropriate Attire includes: 

• Undergarments; a dress or blouse/shirt with skirt/pants or shorts; and shoes or sandals.
• Shoes or sandals shall be worn at all times. Shower shoes and bedroom slippers are not allowed.
• Buttons, snaps, and zippers shall remain fastened.
• Undergarments shall be worn beneath translucent clothing, under all circumstances.
• For security reasons, no brassiere will have metal underwires.
• All shorts and skirts, including slits in the garment, shall not expose more than two inches above the knee when standing.

Prohibited attire consists of, but is not limited to, the following:

• Clothing which, in any combination of shades or types of material, resembles what an inmate may wear to visiting (e.g., blue denim or chambray shirt, blue denim pants, reception-center attire).
• Law enforcement, military-type, or camouflage-patterned articles of clothing. Avoid sage green and tan shirts.
• Clothing that:
  • Exposes the breast/chest area, genitals, or buttocks. By design, manner worn, or due to the absence of, allows the anatomical detail of body parts or midriff to be clearly viewed.
  • Are sheer or transparent or excessively tight.
  • Attire or accessories displaying obscene/offensive language, drawings, or objects.
• Head coverings, readily removable hair pieces, or gloves, with the exception of clear see-through rain gear for inclement weather.
• Any other clothing, garment, or accessory that when compared to the expressly specified standards above would warrant disapproval.

Visitors are permitted to take the following items into the visiting area:

• One pair of eyeglasses.
• One handkerchief or small package of sealed tissues, no bandanas.
• One comb and/or hairbrush, non-metallic, no pointed ends or detachable parts.
• Two keys on a ring with no other attachments.  One key may be an electronic car key.
• Visiting locker key.
• Identification.
• One transparent coin purse, maximum two compartments, maximum size of 6″x8″.
• Fifty dollars per adult visitor and twenty dollars per minor visitor, quarters, five and one dollar bills only 
• Indian Medicine Bag. (Upon inspection and approval)
• Two small (less than 12 inches in length) solid toys.
• Ten approved photographs or documents; maximum size 8.5″x11″; no false backs or instant photographs.
• Visitor medication which is life-sustaining, condition-stabilizing medication with prescribing physician’s written statement of its immediate need, and only in the physician’s prescribed amount immediately required to sustain or stabilize the condition during the visit.

Photographs and Documents 

Photographs, papers, or documents permitted into the visiting area for the inmate’s examination and shall be retained by the visitor and carried from the visiting room and the institution/facility at the conclusion of the visit.  A purchased photograph taken in the visiting room may be taken by the inmate at the conclusion of the visit.  Photographs, papers, or documents require inspection and approval by institution/facility designated staff. For additional information on bringing documents and photographs into visiting, please refer to this memo: 090622 Allowable Documents Authorized into the Visiting Room

Baby Items

• One transparent diaper bag.
• Six disposable diapers.
• Three factory-sealed jars of baby food.
• Any combination of the following; two factory-sealed single serving size, ready to feed bottles of baby formula or two transparent plastic baby bottles, either empty or containing pre-mixed formula/milk/juice/water.
• One change of clothes.
• Single-layer baby blanket.
• One transparent pacifier.
• Factory-sealed baby wipes.
• One baby feeding spoon (plastic).
• One single-layer burp cloth.
• One infant carrier.