How Often Can You Update an Inmate’s Visitors List at Eastham Unit?
If your loved one is at Eastham Unit, you can't swap names on the Visitors List whenever you want. The timing rules are strict—a little planning now can save you months of waiting.
At Eastham Unit, you can only add or remove names from an inmate's Visitors List once every six months. That's the rule to plan around - especially if you're coordinating who can visit or thinking about replacing one visitor with another.
You might hear different timing from someone whose loved one is in a different type of TDCJ facility. State jail, Intermediate Sanction Facility (ISF), and Substance Abuse Felony Punishment (SAFP) inmates can have their Visitors List changed once every 60 days. That's a separate rule from the six-month schedule at institutional units like Eastham.
Because Eastham follows the six-month rule, there's no quick fix. Add the wrong person? Forget to include someone? Want to swap visitors? You could be stuck waiting until the next change window. That affects real-life plans - time off work, long drives, coordinating family members. Think it through before submitting any add or remove request.
If you're using the TDCJ Online Visitation Scheduler, keep an eye on your Relationship Request status. Until TDCJ staff approves it, the request stays visible on your home page under "Relation Requests Pending Approval." You may still be in a waiting stage even after submitting everything - so build in extra time before planning a trip.
Been removed from an inmate's Visitors List? You can appeal. Submit a written appeal to the Director's Review Committee (DRC) at PO Box 99, Huntsville, TX 77342.
Deadline: Your appeal must be submitted within 14 days of the date on the written notice of removal from the unit.
- Find the date on your removal notice - the 14-day clock runs from the date printed on the written notice of removal.
- Write your appeal - keep it focused and make sure it’s clearly an appeal of your removal from the Visitors List.
- Mail it to the DRC right away - send your written appeal to: Director’s Review Committee (DRC), PO Box 99, Huntsville, TX 77342, so it’s submitted within the 14-day deadline.
Practical Tips
- ✓ Confirm the inmate is assigned to Eastham Unit and has visitation privileges.
- ✓ Call the unit for final confirmation before you travel, since visitation information is updated frequently and can change.
Before you hit the road, check the scheduler. If your Relationship Request still shows under "Relation Requests Pending Approval," you're not ready to schedule yet. And if the scheduler tells you to "Call Unit" - or you're unsure what you're seeing - call Eastham to confirm before traveling. TDCJ updates visitation information often, and last-minute changes happen.
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