Menard Medium Security Unit

Menard Medium Security Unit is a for male inmates located in Chester, Illinois, and it has a population of 394 inmates. Menard Medium Security Unit opened in 1996, and it is located on the grounds of Menard Correctional Center, located in Randolph County.  It is an X-house design, and is a medium-security, adult male facility.

Prison Insights

Visiting Hours and Rules

Visiting Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily. Sign in time is from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Visitors will not be processed for a visit during shift change (2:00 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.). Visits may last as long as time and room allows. 

Offenders not under visit restriction are allowed five visits per month.  Three adult visitors may visit simultaneously. This number includes children three years or older.  When more than six visitors (three years or older) visit, it will be counted as two visits.

NOTE:  If the child is under the age of three and can be held on an adult visitor’s lap, they will not be counted as one of the three visitors.

General visiting guidelines

All visitors 17 and older must be on the inmate’s approved visitation list in order to visit.  The inmate is responsible for arranging their visits and notifying their visitors of their visiting status.  

To check if you are on the offender’s visitor list, you should write a letter to your inmate to inquire because the staff cannot tell you whether or not you are on an offender’s visitation list if you call the facility.  

All adult visitors (age 18 and older) are required to complete a Prospective Visitor's Interview (PVI) form for their first visit. This PVI form can be completed and brought in on the first visit.

Visitors must submit to a body search by officers at the Visitor Center.  Visitors who are intoxicated or under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be permitted entry.

Visitor Property Policy

Visitors are not allowed to bring electronic devices such as cell phones or pagers. Other items not allowed in the visiting room include food, drink, smoking materials, currency, packages, purses, bags, sacks, books, magazines, sunglasses, or personal keys.   

Visitors may place personal items in small lockers available in the Visiting Center for 25 cents.  The locker key may be carried into the facility after the visitor secures personal responsibility for these items.  The facility will not assume responsibility for these items.

No baby food, except two plastic baby milk bottles, are to be taken into the Visiting Room.  Baby items may consist of one baby blanket and two diapers.

Required Identification

All adult visitors will be required to produce photo identification (ID) and verification of his or her date of birth.  Be sure to bring two forms of identification with you; one should be a current state issued photo ID.

Dress Code

The dress code is strictly enforced. Visitors must be appropriately dressed or the visit will not be permitted at the discretion of the Shift Commander. 

Inappropriate, revealing clothing is not allowed, such as short skirts or dresses, wrap-around skirts, short shorts, see-through or low cut blouses, break-away pants, Spandex bodysuits, clothing that allows underclothing to be visible, clothes with holes in suggestive areas. 

Females must wear a bra and underwear. Clothing must be in good taste and not advertise or suggest anything illegal, gang-related, or of a sexual nature. With the exception of religious headgear, no hats, gloves, scarves or headbands are allowed.

Contraband

Bringing contraband into an Illinois DOC facility is a criminal offense as specified in the Illinois Criminal Code of 1961.

"Contraband" means items which are prohibited by criminal law, departmental or facility rules or posted notices.  They are items which an offender has no authority to possess; property which is in excess of that which is authorized by the facility.

All persons, vehicles, and items brought onto State property are subject to search. Failure to  submit to a search will result in denial, suspension, or restriction of visiting privileges. 

Information about Vending Machines

The visiting rooms at the facilities offer a variety of products for purchase in vending machines provided by outside vendors.

Vending machine items may only be purchased using a debit card.  A vending card must be purchased for $5 in order to use the vending machines. 

There are no refunds for unused money remaining on the card for any reason other than a defective card, so only put enough on the card for the single visit. Cards are only good at the facility where purchased. If the offender transfers, a new card at the current facility will need to be used.

Video Visits

The Illinois DOC has partnered with Global Tel*Link (GTL) to provide video visitation services for the Menard Medium Security Unit.

All potential visitors must register with GTL. Registration process will include completing a Prospective Visitor Interview Form; all visitors must fully complete this form with GTL even if they have completed this form at a facility, any omissions of required information on the form may result in your registration not being accepted causing unnecessary delays. 

All visitors must be on the offender’s approved visitation list in order to be granted a visit. Video Visitation Hours are Sunday through Saturday from 8 am to 6 pm.

All video visits will be scheduled through the GTL website; do not call the facility to schedule a video visit. The visitor should check before scheduling the video visit of dates and times that are available for the offender. The facility cannot tell a potential visitor if a date or time will work with an offender’s daily schedule. The facility will inform the offender of the pending visit and arrange for the offender to be present.

In order to accommodate all offenders at the Menard Medium Security Unit:

• An offender may only receive one video visit per day.
• No more than three approved visitors per video visit for offenders confined in general population or protective custody status.
• An offender may receive only two video visits per week, this is counted against allotted visits.
• Visitors may only schedule one video visit per day.
• All video visits must be scheduled at least seven days in advance.
• Visits may be scheduled up to 30 days in advance.
• Only scheduled visitors may appear in the video visit monitor.
• One visitor on screen at a time, excluding children who need assistance sitting for the visit.

Video Visitation is a privilege and is only available to offenders in general population or in the health care unit. Offenders housed in Segregation, in orientation, or temporarily housed at the facility will not be permitted video visitation. If an offender receives discipline between the time a visit is confirmed and the time of the visit, the visit may be cancelled; the visitor will receive an email of the cancellation. If the facility goes on lock down prior to a scheduled video visit, the visitor will receive an email. 

All video visits are monitored live and recorded, any violation of visitation rules, inappropriate conduct, or language may be subject to immediate termination of the video visit with or without warning. 

Your use of video visitation and acceptance of the rules is consent to have both audio and video recorded of the video visit. Dress Code policy below applies to video visitation.

How to Call an Inmate

Inmates at the Menard Medium Security Unit can’t receive calls, but they do have access to a phone during assigned times. For complete details on how to call an inmate in Illinois, please click here.

How to Send Money

Inmates may receive money via GTL (ConnectNetwork), JPAY, Western Union, or money order.

(A money order must be sent directly to the lockbox, NOT to the facility; see information below regarding money orders.)

Funds up to $5,000 may be sent to inmates via the following methods, except MoneyGram, who has a maximum limit of $3,000.

• GTL (ConnectNetwork) at https://web.connectnetwork.com/facilities/illinois-department-of-corrections/
• JPAY at www.jpay.com
• MoneyGram locations using the Blue MoneyGram Express Payment Formー receiving code is 7364
• Western Union at www.westernunion.com or at locations using the Quick Collect Form – code city and state are ILDOC  IL

For all electronic transfer of funds, the inmate IDOC number and incarcerated last name must be used. 

Money Orders

Money orders must be sent with the lockbox deposit slip and must be complete with the inmate name, IDOC inmate number, sender’s name, and address.

Deposit slips are available by clicking here. The money orders should be sent with a deposit slip, be made payable to JPay, and sent to the following address:

JPay
PO Box 260250
Hollywood, FL 33026

Programs For Inmates

Academic:

• ABE (Adult Basic Education)
• GED (General Education Development)

Other:

• Job Preparation
• Parole School
• Re-Entry Summits
• Lifestyle Redirection
• Orientation
• Trac 1
• Community Work Crews

Pictures of Menard Medium Security Unit

Careers at Menard Medium Security Unit

If you are interested in a career with the Illinois Department of Corrections at the Menard Medium Security Unit, click here.