Visiting Information

Each visitor must turn in a Request to Visit form before coming to visit.

You may mail in the form, drop it off at our front desk, or fax or email it to your youth’s living unit manager or case coordinator.

Please turn in the form at least two weeks before you hope to visit. This gives us time to process your request.

We use the information on the form to do a criminal background check. If you have an arrest or conviction, it does not always mean you cannot come into the facility — it depends on your situation. If you have an active warrant, we may not let you inside.

If you are approved by facility managers, we will put you on your youth’s OYA Approved Visitor List. You must be on this list in order to visit.

You must schedule your visit before you come.

Who May Visit Youth?

All visitors first must get approval from the facility and their youth’s unit managers.

Typically, close and extended family and other supportive people may visit. This is only if their application is approved.

Visitors under 18 may visit if they are approved first, but they must be supervised by a parent or guardian age 18 or older.

Youth may not have more than four visitors at a time.

Wednesdays: 5-6:15 p.m.; 6:30-7:45 p.m.

Saturdays and Sundays: 9:30-11:30 a.m.; 12-2 p.m.; 2:30-4:30 p.m.

You must schedule your visit before you come, no more than 10 days in advance. To schedule, call 541-791-5900 during business hours, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

If you are unable to visit during the regular visit times, contact your youth’s case coordinator of living unit manager, who may consider different arrangements.

Typically, we limit youth to one visiting session per week. Our visiting space is limited, and we want to make sure all youth get opportunities for visits.

You must schedule your visit before you come, no more than 10 days in advance. To schedule, call 541-791-5900 during business hours, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

If you are unable to visit during the regular visit times, contact your youth’s case coordinator of living unit manager, who may consider different arrangements.

Typically, we limit youth to two visiting sessions per week. Our visiting space is limited, and we want to make sure all youth get opportunities for visits.

If our staff think your clothing is disruptive or inappropriate, we will not let you inside Oak Creek. We are trying to create a positive, family-friendly environment for youth, families, and other visitors.

If you wear these items, you will not be allowed inside:

Clothing that is torn in inappropriate places.
Short shorts, short skirts/miniskirts, or short dresses.
Spaghetti strap shirts and tank tops.
Low-cut clothing that shows your lower back or undergarments.
Sheer, transparent, or mesh fabric, other than hosiery.
Fanny packs, money belts, or belts with compartments.
Messages that promote drugs, tobacco, alcohol, violence, pornography, nudity, gangs, or prejudice, or are demeaning to others.

These are the only items you may bring inside:

Current photo ID (required if you are 13 or older)
Automobile key and remote (must be stored in one of our lockers outside the visiting room)
One debit or credit card, or small amount of coins or dollar bills (for buying snacks or drinks from our vending machines)
Life-sustaining medicine for yourself, such as an inhaler. It must be in its original container. Please try not to bring more medicine than you will need to make it through the visit. Please let visitation staff know you have the medicine when you arrive.
Basic items for an infant. Items must be in a clear plastic bag:

Diapers (no more than 2)
Wipes
Two empty plastic baby bottles
Small amount of formula or baby food
One baby seat

Nursing mothers: talk with your youth’s treatment team about options.

Weapons or potential weapons
Wallets, purses, backpacks, or briefcases
Cell phones or watch phones
Any device that connects to the internet
Cameras or audio/video recorders
Tobacco, marijuana, and vaping products (may not be used anywhere on the Oak Creek grounds, even in the parking lot)
Illegal drugs or paraphernalia
Prescription drugs, unless they are life-sustaining
Baby-related items, except for the basics
Food or drinks (you may purchase these inside)
Packages or pictures (must be mailed or dropped off with staff outside the visiting area; you may not drop them off unless they have been approved in advance by your youth’s unit managers)
Money for youth (must be mailed or dropped in the deposit box outside our visiting area, using the envelopes we provide; you may also include stamps in the envelope)

Consequences for Contraband

It is a Class C felony to provide contraband items to youth in custody or to bring those items into an OYA facility without authorization. (ORS 162.185)

You will have to get through a metal detector successfully before you are allowed to enter our facility. This is to help keep all youth, staff, and visitors safe.
You may not give anything to youth during your visit except snacks or drinks from our vending machines. Youth are not allowed to handle money.
Our staff are allowed to search you or your items at any time when you are inside our facility.
All areas of our facility are under 24-hour video surveillance.
If you bring in something that is considered dangerous contraband, we will file charges, and we will review your future visiting status, depending on the severity of the situation.

Please try to arrive on time. If you do not arrive at the beginning of the visiting time frame that you are signed up for, you can expect a delay in getting through security to start your visit.
Check in at the Visiting Entrance. You will have to clear a metal detector. If you are not able to clear it, you will not be allowed to visit. Exceptions can be made for metal implants.
All visitors age 13 and older must show a photo ID at check-in. We accept school IDs.
Once you are inside our conference room for visiting, we ask that you stay there until the visit is done. If you need to go back outside for any reason, you will have to clear the metal detector again before coming back in.
In our visiting conference room, you may sit with your youth at a table. We have a small number of games available. We also have a small play area for young children, but the child’s parent or guardian who is 18 or older must supervise and be with them at all times.
We have vending machines where you may buy snacks or drinks for you or your youth to have during the visit. The machines accept cash or credit and debit cards. Youth may not handle money.
You may bring packages for youth, but only if they have been approved in advance by your youth’s case coordinator or living unit manager. Packages must be dropped off with staff before you go inside our facility. You may not give packages directly to youth.
Please limit physical contact with your youth to a short embrace at the beginning and end of the visit.
Do not contact any other youth, other than a casual greeting.
Please be respectful to OYA staff, youth, and other visitors during your visit. We ask that you and your youth follow staff directions, use appropriate language, keep your conversation topics appropriate, and keep your conversations at a normal volume.
We work hard to create a positive, family-friendly environment for all youth and visitors. The visiting room is small, so please be respectful of other youth and visitors in the room with you.
Staff may restrict or deny a youth’s visiting privileges and may deny visitors entry into Oak Creek or make them leave for reasons related to safety, security, or facility order. If you or your youth do not behave appropriately, or you try to bring in something that is not allowed, we will ask you to leave and we will review whether you may visit again.
If the facility has a sudden safety or security issue, it is possible that visits may be delayed or cancelled. This is rare, but sometimes it happens.