What to Do When Your Visit Plans Change at Colwell: Adding or Canceling Visitors

Visit plans change all the time. Someone else in the family decides to come, a ride falls through, work runs late, or you realize you entered something wrong. At Colwell, timing matters: weekend visitation requests have a cutoff at 5:00 PM on the Wednesday of the same week. Don't wait until the last minute to add a visitor or make adjustments.

Sick? Dealing with childcare? Stuck in travel delays? Or maybe you just need to keep the visit list small that day. Whatever the reason, change your plan as soon as you know. You'll have a better chance of getting the update processed - and you'll avoid the stress of scrambling right up against a deadline.

To add visitors to an already scheduled visit at Colwell, use the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC)

• ✓ The incarcerated person’s identifying information (for example, the Offender/GDC ID if you have it handy)
• ✓ The requestor’s name and contact details you used when the visit was scheduled (so you can match the correct appointment)
• ✓ Each additional visitor’s full legal name and relationship information
• ✓ Basic ID details for the visitor if the form asks for them (for example, driver’s license/state ID details)
• ✓ The visitor’s age - some form selections are restricted, and you must be 18 or older to select certain options

Need to cancel a scheduled visit at Colwell? Use the GDC

1. Open the GDC “Cancel my visit” tool - start from the cancellation option and get to the page where you can look up the appointment.
2. Enter the same details you used to schedule - use consistent spelling and the same requestor information so the system can find the correct visit.
3. Select the correct appointment - double-check the date/time before you cancel.
4. Cancel and save your confirmation - take a screenshot or write down any confirmation details so you have a record if you need to follow up.

For weekend visits at Colwell, the cutoff time to request visitation is 5:00 PM on the Wednesday of the same week. If you’re trying to add someone late in the week, you may run into that deadline - so make changes as early as you can, even if you’re still waiting on someone to confirm their ride or childcare.

State holiday visits have a different cutoff: 5:00 PM, three days before each holiday. That window can sneak up quickly, especially if you’re traveling or coordinating multiple family members, so plan changes with that three-day rule in mind.

Practical-tips

• ✓ Gather the requestor’s details exactly as entered when the visit was scheduled (name, email, and other identifying fields)
• ✓ Have the incarcerated person’s identifying information ready (including Offender/GDC ID if available)
• ✓ Confirm each additional visitor’s full legal name and relationship before you start
• ✓ Be ready to enter ID-related information if the form prompts for it - and remember some selections require the visitor to be 18 or older
• ✓ If a minor will be involved, pause and verify the current requirements with the facility or the GDC process before you submit anything, since the online forms include age-related restrictions

After you add visitors or cancel, confirm the change went through. Save any on-screen confirmation and watch the email address you used during scheduling for messages about your appointment. If the system can't find your visit or something looks off, double-check your entries - especially spelling and dates - then contact the facility or GDC support for help.