How to Contact an Inmate at Facility

MDOC does not automatically notify you when a visitation application is approved. If you're waiting to hear back, call the facility and ask about your status. MDOC also recommends calling before you make travel plans to confirm there are no schedule interruptions and that the inmate isn't temporarily restricted from visits.

Here's something that catches people off guard: MDOC does not provide visitation application forms online, and they won't send them by email or regular mail. You'll need to get the current process directly from the facility, including how to obtain the form and what they accept for submission.

Steps to Follow

• ✓ Call the facility and ask how to get the visitation application (MDOC does not provide forms online, by email, or by mail).
• ✓ Confirm where and how the facility wants you to submit the completed application.
• ✓ Ask whether there are any other requirements you need to meet when you turn it in (so you do not have to redo the trip).

• ✓ After you submit the application, call the facility to check whether you were approved (you will not be notified automatically).
• ✓ Before traveling for a visit, call again to confirm your status and that visitation is not interrupted or restricted.
• ✓ If you are told to wait, ask when you should call back to check again.

When you call, keep it simple. Confirm the things that commonly cause wasted trips: whether you should expect any approval notice (MDOC does not automatically notify), how to get the visitation application (it's not available online, and MDOC won't email or mail it), and what submission method the facility accepts. Right before you travel, it's also worth double-checking that visitation is still running and the inmate isn't on a restriction that temporarily removes visiting privileges.