How to Get Approved to Visit Someone in a Michigan Prison: Complete Timeline
Getting approved to visit someone in a Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) prison takes a few specific steps and real patience. Here's the cleanest way to get on the visitor list, submit your application, and know what to expect along the way.
You can't just show up at a Michigan prison and ask to visit. Every visitor has to be added to the prisoner's Visiting List, and that process starts with the prisoner requesting you be added.
Not sure if you're on the list? That's your first action item. Contact the prisoner and ask them to add you. Nothing moves forward until the prisoner requests your name.
Note: The Visiting List is managed on an MDOC form called CAJ-334. You'll see that form name come up in visiting paperwork.
MDOC uses specific visiting forms. The one most families encounter is the CAJ-103, which is the MDOC Visiting Application. You'll also hear about CAJ-334, the Visitor List form that controls who is allowed to visit.
Wondering how to get the application? The prisoner can send visiting applications directly to the people they want to visit. So if your loved one says they're sending you the paperwork, that's completely normal.
- Go through MiLogin - online visiting applications are submitted after you complete the required steps in MiLogin.
- Submit the application - once you finish the MiLogin steps, your online visiting application is considered submitted.
- Watch your email for the decision - MDOC will send a response to your email when your application is processed, letting you know if you can visit.
- Get your visiting application ready - fill it out completely so staff can process it without avoidable delays.
- Mail it to the correct facility - paper applications must be mailed to the facility where the prisoner is located.
- Include a self-addressed stamped envelope - the facility uses that envelope to mail you a response once your application is processed.
Note: Online applicants get an email when processing is complete. If you mailed your application, you'll receive a mailed response (using the self-addressed stamped envelope you included).
Plan for this to take a while. Whether you apply online or by mail, processing may take up to four weeks.
How you hear back depends on how you applied. If you submitted online through MiLogin, you'll get an email when your application is processed. If you mailed it in, the facility will send a response to the self-addressed stamped envelope you included. That's why including one matters.
Behind the scenes, every visitor gets entered into the MDOC Visitor Tracking system. Staff verify that your record isn't a duplicate of one already in the system, and they check that your identification information and ID type are entered correctly.
Note: Duplicate records and mismatched ID details can slow things down. Double-check that the prisoner has requested you on the Visiting List, and make sure the information you provide matches your identification exactly.
Practical Tips
- ✓ If you apply online, complete the steps in MiLogin and use an email address you check regularly (you will be emailed when your application is processed).
- ✓ If you apply by mail, send your application to the facility where the prisoner is located.
- ✓ If you apply by mail, include a self-addressed stamped envelope so the facility can mail your response.
- ✓ Double-check that the identification information you provide is correct, since staff must enter it accurately in Visitor Tracking.
- ✓ Use consistent identifying details each time you apply, so staff can confirm your record is not a duplicate in the system.
Reminder: Even when everything is filled out correctly, processing can still take up to four weeks. If you're trying to visit by a specific date, start early.
Find an Inmate at Bellamy Creek Corrections Facility
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
