Understanding Byrd Unit's 10-Person Visitor List: Who Can You Add and When You Can Change It?

Each inmate at the Byrd Unit can have a maximum of 10 names on their Visitors List. This is the official approved list that holds names and contact details (phone numbers, physical addresses) for people the inmate wants to see during authorized visiting hours. It's not a casual "who do you know" list. If your name isn't on it, you won't be cleared to visit.

Here's the part that catches families off guard: for institutional inmates, changes to the Visitors List are allowed only once every six months. Adding or deleting names outside that window isn't possible, so last-minute swaps rarely work. Think a season ahead when deciding who should take up one of those 10 slots.

Not everyone in TDCJ follows the same timeline. For state jail, intermediate sanction facility (ISF), and substance abuse felony punishment (SAFP) inmates, additions and deletions can happen once every 60 days. If your loved one's custody type changes, the timing rules change too. Keep that in mind when planning visits months out.

With only 10 spots, every name is a choice. The list captures the specific people the inmate wants to visit with, along with their contact information, so the unit can verify and manage visitation. Practically, this means you'll want to prioritize people who are most likely to visit and who you want to maintain consistent access for. You can't freely rotate names when plans change.

• ✓ Put the people who will actually visit in the next few months at the top of the priority list.
• ✓ Reserve space for the “must-haves” (the people your loved one most needs contact with), then fill remaining slots.
• ✓ If someone is traveling a long distance, consider prioritizing them so a rare trip does not get blocked by list limits.
• ✓ Avoid using slots on “maybe someday” visitors if the six-month window would make swapping hard.
• ✓ Ask your loved one to double-check spelling and contact details for each person, so approvals do not get delayed by avoidable errors.

Want to confirm you're approved or get added? The TDCJ Online Visitation Scheduler is usually where the process starts. Visitors must create their own scheduler accounts (TDCJ staff cannot create one for you). When you add an inmate and submit the request, you're sending a Relationship Request to the inmate's unit of assignment. Staff verify the visitor-inmate relationship, and the request stays pending until approved.

1. Create your Online Visitation Scheduler account: You have to do this yourself, staff cannot create an account for you.
2. Submit a Relationship Request: Add the inmate in the scheduler, select the relationship, and request approval so it goes to the inmate’s unit for verification.
3. Watch for a pending status: Until the unit approves it, your request will remain pending.
4. Call before you make the trip: Visitation information updates frequently, so get final confirmation from the unit before traveling.