How to Get on an Inmate's Approved Visiting List at Cheshire Correctional

Before filling out any paperwork or booking travel, confirm the person is actually at Cheshire Correctional. Connecticut DOC moves people between facilities, and the visiting process is tied to their current location. Use the Department of Correction Inmate Search to verify where they're housed - then follow the visiting steps for that facility.

You must be on the inmate's approved visiting list before you can visit. This approval is what allows you to attend social visits - though visits only happen when the inmate also has active visiting privileges. If you're not on the list, you won't get in.

The process starts with the inmate. If they want regular visits, they submit each potential visitor's name and address to their assigned counselor. The counselor provides a Visiting Application form, which the inmate mails to you. Once you receive it, fill it out, sign it, and return it to the facility where the inmate is currently housed - either by mail or in person.

Expect the approval process to take two to three weeks. Need to visit sooner? If you're immediate family, there may be a temporary option. Wardens can allow a courtesy visit while your application is still pending - for up to two adult immediate-family visitors. If timing matters and you think you qualify, ask the inmate to raise this with their counselor.

Next Steps and Tips

• ✓ Confirm the inmate is still housed at Cheshire before you travel by checking the DOC Inmate Search.
• ✓ Don’t plan a visit until you’re on the inmate’s approved visiting list.
• ✓ Keep a copy of what you submit (or a photo of it) so you can reference it if there’s a delay.
• ✓ On your first trip, arrive early - check-in and processing can take time.
• ✓ Before you leave home, confirm the inmate still has active visiting privileges so you don’t make the trip for nothing.