How to Add Someone to Your Loved One's Visiting List at FCI Englewood
Getting on the visiting list at FCI Englewood comes down to timing, eligibility, and passing a background check. Here's how it works.
FCI Englewood defines "immediate family" specifically for visitation purposes. This includes mother, father, step-parents, foster parents, siblings, spouse, and children. If you fit one of these categories, you qualify as immediate family for the visiting list.
Inmates at the FCI and FPC can also request friends beyond immediate family and relatives. The cap is 10 friends on the visiting list, so it pays to be selective. The people submitted should be those the inmate knew before incarceration.
There's an early window to get the visiting list set up. After arriving at the FCI/FPC/FDC, inmates have 60 days to submit their initial visitor requests. If you want to visit as soon as possible, get your information to your loved one during this period - it'll save you extra waiting later.
Once that initial 60-day window closes, changes are limited. Inmates can update their visiting list once per quarter - January, April, July, and October. Missed the first list or need to swap someone out? You'll typically have to wait for the next quarterly window.
Note: Inmates housed in the FDC are only authorized to place immediate family members on their visiting list.
The process starts with the inmate. During the first 60 days after arrival - and later during quarterly change periods - the inmate submits names of prospective visitors for their list.
Once staff approves the list, the facility creates an "approved record of visitors" in triplicate. One copy goes in Section 3 of the inmate's Central File, one goes to the inmate, and one gets forwarded to the Front Lobby. This is how the facility documents who's authorized to visit.
That Front Lobby copy isn't just paperwork - it backs up the visiting computer program. If there's ever confusion at check-in about whether someone is approved, staff can reference that record.
Expect a background screening. All proposed visitors go through a National Crime Information Center (NCIC) background check before they can visit. This is why there's often a gap between "my name was submitted" and "I can actually schedule a visit."
Warning: If the NCIC background check shows any warrants, the visitor will be denied until the warrant is resolved.
Info Ready
- ✓ Your full legal name (as it appears on your ID)
- ✓ Your current address
- ✓ Your phone number
After your loved one submits your name, you're mostly waiting for the NCIC background check to clear. If you have an outstanding warrant, the facility will deny visits until it's resolved. A denial doesn't mean "never" - just that you can't visit until the issue is cleared.
Not sure if you've been approved? The key contact on the inside is the inmate's Correctional Counselor. Once approved, the visiting record is distributed - including a copy to the inmate. Your loved one can check their paperwork and follow up with their counselor to confirm whether you're officially on the list.
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