Indiana State Prison Visits: Approval, ID, and Directions

To visit Indiana State Prison at 1 Park Row, Michigan City, IN 46360, you need to create a free ViaPath account, submit a visitor application, and be approved before you can schedule a visit; on the day itself, you’ll need valid photo ID and must follow the facility’s dress code and item rules. Because the prison houses maximum- and medium-security populations, including Indiana’s death row, the visiting rules are stricter than at lower-security Indiana facilities.1Indiana Department of Correction. Visitation

Get Approved Before You Go

The approval process is driven by you, the visitor, not by the incarcerated person. Create a free account through the IDOC’s ViaPath system, submit the electronic visitor application, and wait for approval. Only then can you schedule an in-person or video visit.1Indiana Department of Correction. Visitation

Each incarcerated individual keeps a visitation list of up to 12 approved visitors. The list is updated at least twice a year, so if you’re not on it yet, that’s where you need to be before anything else happens.1Indiana Department of Correction. Visitation

If you’re currently on parole or probation, there’s an added step. You must get written authorization from your parole or probation officer, and the original signed approval has to go directly to the superintendent at Indiana State Prison before the superintendent will consider your request.2Indiana Department of Correction. Visitation Application – Step 2

What to Bring for ID

Every visitor aged 16 or older must present valid photo identification at every visit. Accepted forms are:1Indiana Department of Correction. Visitation

  • A driver’s license or state photo ID from your state of residence
  • A military ID
  • A passport
  • A government-issued ID card, including foreign government cards

Minors under 18 who are visiting someone with certain sex-offense restrictions must bring a birth certificate at each visit, and the superintendent may require additional documentation. If the incarcerated person has a current or prior sex offense involving a minor, visits may be limited to non-contact only or barred entirely for minors, depending on the offense and when it occurred.1Indiana Department of Correction. Visitation

What to Wear

The dress code is specific, and arriving in the wrong clothing can cost you the visit. The facility’s rules require:3Indiana Department of Correction. Indiana State Prison Visiting Rules

  • Undergarments: Must be worn at all times.
  • Shoes: Required for everyone except carried infants. No sandals, flip-flops, crocs, steel-toe boots, or heels taller than three inches.
  • Bottoms: No tight-fitting pants, leggings, yoga pants, or Lycra. Skirts, dresses, and shorts must fall no more than two inches above the knee, with no deep slits.
  • Tops: Sleeves required on all shirts and blouses. No halter tops, tank tops, tube tops, see-through fabric, or low-cut necklines. No tops or jackets with kangaroo pockets.
  • Outerwear: Heavy winter coats and bulky sweaters are not allowed in the visiting room. Suit coats, sport coats, and lightweight windbreakers without hoods are permitted.
  • Jewelry: Only a wedding band or wedding ring set.
  • Hats: Not allowed unless required by religious belief, in which case they will be searched.
  • Condition: No clothing that is worn out, torn, or frayed.

What You Can and Can’t Carry In

All visitors are searched on arrival. Refusing a search means the visit is denied.1Indiana Department of Correction. Visitation

The only personal items you may carry into the visiting area are one clear plastic baby bottle or pacifier, one small blanket, and one diaper. Leave everything else in your vehicle, including:3Indiana Department of Correction. Indiana State Prison Visiting Rules

  • Cell phones, smartwatches, pagers, and all other electronic devices
  • Cameras and any audio or video recording equipment
  • Firearms, knives, and ammunition
  • Narcotics, controlled substances, marijuana, and alcohol
  • Tobacco and tobacco-related products
  • Medication, unless it is life-saving or life-sustaining and pre-approved by the warden (such as inhalers, nitroglycerin pills, or bee-sting kits)

Misconduct during a visit can lead to immediate termination of the visit, suspension of your visiting privileges, or a permanent ban.

Reaching the Prison

Indiana State Prison is at 1 Park Row, Michigan City, IN 46360, in LaPorte County along the southern shore of Lake Michigan. From Indianapolis, expect roughly a two-and-a-half-hour drive north on Interstate 65 and then US-421. From Chicago, the trip east on Interstate 94 and US-421 takes about an hour.

For questions about a specific incarcerated individual, visiting schedules, or facility procedures, call the prison directly at (219) 874-7256. To look up someone’s DOC number or confirm their current location before you apply to visit, use the offender search tool at in.gov/idoc.