Tips for first time family Members

If this is your first time to visit a loved one in a State facility, most have a machine that turns your free world money into a debit card of sorts. Most visitation check points will make you aware of the money conversion, but not that the initial card costs you $2 dollars and that machine ONLY accepts a $5 dollar bill. So always make sure the money you plan to spend on vending machines in visit includes a $5 dollar bill, unless you save your card. Most are reloadable and you only have to purchase it once, but I always make sure I have a $5 just in case. If you keep and re-use your card it's also a good idea to write your name on it in a sharpie pen. Just in case it was dropped or misplaced. They all look the same unless you do this. They keep those pens at checkpoint and are usually happy to oblige.