How to Get on an Inmate's Visiting List at FCI Butner Medium 2

First things first: confirm where your loved one is actually housed. In the federal system, the inmate creates their own visiting list when they arrive at a new facility - and that list determines who can be approved to visit. Why does this matter? People get transferred between facilities for programs, medical care, or security reasons. Starting paperwork for the wrong location will slow everything down. A quick check of the BOP inmate locator keeps you on track.

To get approved, you'll need to complete the BOP's visitor application form, BP‑A0629 (Visitor Information). The form asks for basic details: your legal name, date of birth, current address, and phone number. You'll also provide demographic information - race, sex, and citizenship status. U.S. citizens need to include their Social Security number. Non-citizens will provide an Alien Registration number or passport number instead.

• ✓ Your relationship to the inmate
• ✓ Your criminal history
• ✓ Whether you are on any type of supervision
• ✓ Your signature on the Authorization to Release Information (this authorizes release of criminal records to the Warden)

This form isn't just routine paperwork. The BOP uses BP‑A0629 to run the background checks required to clear you as a visitor - that's why it asks about criminal history and supervision status. Pay attention to the Authorization to Release Information section. Your signature authorizes the release of criminal records to the Warden so the institution can make an approval decision.

FCI Butner Medium 2 follows BOP-approved visitor categories, which include both family and non-family visitors. Family can mean grandparents, aunts, uncles, in-laws, and cousins. Friends and associates are allowed too - up to 10. Other approved categories include clergy and religious group members, civic group members, former or prospective employers, sponsors, parole advisors, foreign officials, and attorneys.

Once your form is submitted, the institution runs background checks to decide whether to approve you. This is where that Authorization to Release Information comes into play - your signature lets criminal record information be shared with the Warden for review. Keep this in mind: you can't visit until two things happen. The inmate must add you to their visiting list, and the BOP must clear you.

There's one limited exception. Right after intake or a transfer, if no visiting list exists yet, immediate family members may be allowed to visit - provided they can be verified through the inmate's Pre‑Sentence Report.

Practical Tips Next Steps

• ✓ Make sure the inmate has actually added you to their visiting list; clearance doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
• ✓ Fill out BP‑A0629 completely using your legal name and current contact information (address and phone number).
• ✓ Be ready to answer the relationship, criminal history, and supervision-status questions honestly.
• ✓ Keep a copy of what you submit so you can match details later if anything gets kicked back.
• ✓ If you’re waiting on approval, follow up through the inmate (their unit team is typically involved in visiting-list issues).