How MDOC Custody Levels Affect Visits, Phones, Jobs and Programs

MDOC uses custody levels to decide how closely someone is supervised and what privileges they can access. According to the MDOC Inmate Handbook, these privileges include supervision inside and outside the institution, access to programs and activities, jobs, canteen, visits, and telephone. How does someone get assigned a custody level? During initial classification, MDOC uses an Objective Classification system that scores each inmate to establish a custody rating. That score sets the baseline for housing and determines the level of access your loved one will have while incarcerated.

Community Minimum Status is the lowest security level in MDOC's custody designations. It requires the least supervision and typically means the inmate works in the community. For families, the practical takeaway: this status signals low supervision needs and community work. Since MDOC ties privileges like jobs, activities, visits, and telephone to custody level, Community Minimum offers the widest freedom of movement and work placement described in the handbook.

Minimum custody is still a low supervision category, but it comes with specific work and behavior expectations: the inmate must be able to work satisfactorily with minimal supervision or security control. Within Minimum custody, MDOC separates people into Community Minimum and Non-Community Minimum statuses. Non-Community Minimum inmates are housed under minimum security and can participate in activities on institutional grounds without direct staff supervision. If they go off grounds, trained correctional staff must supervise them. This distinction matters because it affects what kinds of jobs and activities are possible, especially anything involving leaving institutional grounds.

• ✓ Community Minimum Status: least security and supervision, usually works in the community
• ✓ Minimum custody overall: requires the ability to work satisfactorily with minimum supervision or security control
• ✓ Non-Community Minimum Status: housed under minimum security, may do on-grounds activities without direct staff supervision
• ✓ Non-Community Minimum Status off grounds: must be supervised by trained correctional staff

Medium custody inmates are housed in a medium security correctional facility. When they engage in activities outside the facility perimeter, they must be under direct or constant armed correctional supervision.

That outside-the-perimeter supervision requirement is the big practical limiter for families trying to understand daily life in Medium custody. Any activity, program, or job that involves leaving the perimeter requires direct or constant armed supervision. MDOC ties privileges to custody level, including access to programs, activities, jobs, visits, and telephone. With Medium custody, higher supervision expectations are part of why families often see fewer options than at Minimum or Community Minimum, especially for anything beyond the housing unit or institution itself.

Close custody is the highest supervision category in the MDOC handbook's custody designations. It requires close supervision, with the inmate under positive security control at all times. There's also a timing piece that surprises families. Before initial classification is completed, MDOC treats all male and female inmates as Close custody. This can affect what your loved one can access early on, even if their eventual scored custody rating is lower.

If you're trying to make sense of changing visit options, phone access, work assignments, or program eligibility, start with custody level. MDOC's handbook is direct on this: all privileges, including level of supervision within and outside the institution, access to programs, activities, jobs, canteen, visits, and telephone, are based on the inmate's custody level.

1. Match the custody label to supervision level: Community Minimum has the least security and supervision; Minimum requires the ability to work satisfactorily with minimum supervision; Medium requires direct or constant armed supervision outside the perimeter; Close requires positive security control at all times.
2. Use the supervision rules to predict job and program options: Community Minimum usually works in the community; Non-Community Minimum can do on-grounds activities without direct staff supervision but must be supervised by trained correctional staff off grounds; Medium outside-the-perimeter activities require direct or constant armed supervision.
3. Connect custody level to family-facing privileges: Visits and telephone are privileges MDOC ties to custody level, along with jobs and access to programs and activities.
4. Re-check after housing or status changes: When custody status changes, the related privileges can change with it, since MDOC bases them on the current custody level.

Questions Families

• ✓ Has the Objective Classification score been completed, or is the person still in the initial classification period?
• ✓ What is the current custody level right now?
• ✓ Is the current status Community Minimum, Minimum (including Non-Community Minimum), Medium, or Close?
• ✓ Based on that custody level, what are the current rules for visits and telephone privileges?
• ✓ Based on that custody level, what jobs, programs, and activities is the person eligible for at this time?