Who Can Visit? Understanding Michigan DOC's 10-Person Visitor List and Per-Visit Limits
Michigan DOC uses the CAJ-334 Visitor List to control who can visit a prisoner and how many people can be in the room at once. Planning a visit that won't get turned away? Two things matter most: who's on the list, and the per-visit headcount limit.
The CAJ-334 Visitor List is the prisoner's official roster of approved visitors. Michigan DOC allows prisoners to list immediate family members, qualified clergy, attorneys, outreach volunteers, and up to ten other people of their choosing. That "up to ten" rule trips up a lot of families - beyond the automatic categories like immediate family, the prisoner only gets a limited number of extra slots. Coordinate with other relatives and friends before names get submitted.
Note: The CAJ-334 is tracked by date - staff record when it’s received on the form. That date can matter when you’re trying to sort out whether a change has actually been processed yet.
You can't show up and ask to be added at the door. Michigan DOC only allows visits from people on the prisoner's Approved/Visiting List - and the prisoner has to request the add. Not sure if you're listed? Ask the prisoner directly. If you're planning a trip and don't want to risk being turned away, have them submit the request as soon as possible.
- Create your account on the Michigan DOC Visitation Scheduling site (ViaPath/GTL) - this is the system used for scheduling visits.
- Wait for your visiting application to be approved - you won’t be able to create or schedule a visit until approval is in place.
Even if everyone is approved, there's still a cap on how many people can visit at once. Michigan DOC allows a maximum of five visitors for an in-person visit. Children under two don't count toward that total - helpful if you're bringing a baby or toddler. Got a bigger group? Plan ahead. You'll need to split into smaller groups rather than showing up together and hoping staff make an exception.
Quick rule: No more than five visitors at a time for an in-person visit (kids under two aren’t counted).
Need to rotate people through because of the five-person limit? Here's something useful: visitors can schedule up to two separate in-person visits on the same day with the same prisoner. You'll still use the ViaPath/GTL scheduling site, and your visiting application must be approved first. Keep the scheduling window in mind - visits must be booked at least 48 hours in advance and no more than 7 days out.
Practical Verification
- ✓ Confirm the prisoner has you on their CAJ-334/Approved Visiting List - only people added at the prisoner’s request are permitted to visit.
- ✓ Confirm your ViaPath/GTL visiting status shows as approved - visits scheduled before MDOC approval won’t be honored.
- ✓ Look for the received date on the CAJ-334 - the Resident Unit Manager (or designee) records the date received on the form, which helps clarify whether a recent change is actually on file.
Plan before you book: Keep your in-person group to five (not counting kids under two), and schedule within the 48-hours-to-7-days window so your visit doesn’t get rejected.
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