Who Can Visit an Inmate at Alger? Understanding Michigan's Visitor Rules and the 10-Person List

Prisoners at Alger can receive visits from immediate family members. That's the starting point for most visits - family is explicitly allowed under Michigan Department of Corrections visiting rules. When people ask "Am I allowed to visit?" this is usually what they're asking about.

MDOC rules also allow visits from qualified clergy and attorneys. But even these "qualified" visitor types have paperwork. Anyone requesting to be added to a prisoner's visiting list - including clergy and outreach volunteers - needs to complete the CAJ-103 MDOC Visiting Application.

The visitor list centers on a specific MDOC form: the CAJ-334 Visitor List. Through this form, a prisoner identifies who they want to receive visits from - immediate family, outreach volunteers, and (here's the part many people miss) up to ten additional people who don't fit those categories. You don't have to be immediate family to visit. But you do have to be someone the prisoner chooses to add within that "ten others" allowance.

1. Ask the prisoner to add you - Visitors are added at the prisoner’s request, so start by contacting them and asking to be placed on their Visiting List.
2. Complete the CAJ-103 Visiting Application - Anyone requesting to be added to a prisoner’s visiting list must complete the CAJ-103, including clergy and outreach volunteers.
3. Don’t assume you’re already listed - If you’re not sure whether you’re on the Visiting List, contact the prisoner and ask them to confirm and request that you be added if needed.

Expect the approval process to take time. Online visiting applications can take up to four weeks to process. You'll get an email once your application has been reviewed.

For in-person visits, MDOC allows a maximum of five visitors at one time. Children under two don't count toward that number. Here's the confusing part: some scheduling pages show a maximum of four visitors, which conflicts with the five-person limit in MDOC materials. Don't be surprised if you see different numbers in different places.

• ✓ Schedule your visit at least 48 hours in advance, but no more than 7 days ahead.
• ✓ Expect time blocks of 3 hours on weekdays and 2 hours on weekends.
• ✓ Check whether the facility (or housing unit) is under medical quarantine before you arrive, because quarantine can cancel visits.
• ✓ For video visits, log into the ViaPath Visitor Website 10 minutes early for verification, and be ready to present a government-issued photo ID on video each time.