Who Can Visit at Estelle Unit: Understanding the 10-Name Visitors List and How to Appeal a Removal

Each inmate at Estelle Unit can have up to 10 names on their official Visitors List. If your name isn't on it, you're not approved to visit - simple as that. Families often have to prioritize who gets added first. Before making plans, confirm your status, especially if the list might already be full.

You can't change the Visitors List whenever you want. For institutional inmates, names can only be added or removed once every six months. Timing matters: if someone needs to come off the list to make room for you, or if you're trying to get added after a family change, you may have to wait for the next change window.

The rules are different for some inmates. State jail, intermediate sanction facility (ISF), and substance abuse felony punishment (SAFP) inmates can have their Visitors List changed once every 60 days. If your loved one falls into one of these categories, updates happen more frequently than the six-month schedule. Know which rule applies before assuming you're stuck waiting.

When you submit a Relationship Request to add an inmate, it gets sent to the inmate's unit of assignment. TDCJ staff then verify your relationship to the inmate before you can move forward with visiting. Expect some delays while that verification step is completed.

If you're removed from an inmate's Visitors List, you can appeal - but you need to act fast. Submit your appeal in writing to the Director's Review Committee (DRC) at PO Box 99, Huntsville, TX 77342. The deadline is strict: your written appeal must arrive within 14 days of the date on your removal notice.

• ✓ Read the written notice of removal and note the date on it (your 14-day clock runs from that date).
• ✓ Write your appeal and address it to: Director’s Review Committee (DRC), PO Box 99, Huntsville, TX 77342.
• ✓ Include a copy of the written notice of removal with your appeal.
• ✓ Send it so it’s submitted within 14 days of the date on the written notice of removal from the unit.

Keep your paperwork organized. Relationship Requests go to the inmate's unit for verification, so build in time for that step. If you're removed from the list, treat the written notice like a deadline document. Make a copy, keep the original, and start your appeal immediately - don't miss the 14-day window.