One Visit Per Weekend at Ferguson Unit: How to Coordinate with Others and Manage the Visitor List

At the Ferguson Unit (like other TDCJ units), each inmate is allowed one visit per weekend. If someone visits on Saturday, a different group can't come Sunday. That's it for the week. The bottom line: if multiple family members and friends want to visit, you all need to coordinate ahead of time, both with each other and with the inmate. Otherwise, someone is making the drive just to get turned away at the door.

The online visitation scheduler can help you spot conflicts. If an inmate already has a visit scheduled during a given week, dates in that same week won't appear as options. So if you're looking for a Saturday slot and nothing shows up, that likely means a visit is already on the books. Checking the scheduler before you commit to a trip can save you a wasted drive.

TDCJ also limits who can visit in the first place. Each inmate can have a maximum of 10 names on their Visitors List. For larger families, that cap forces tradeoffs. If the list is full, adding someone new means removing someone else. Talk through priorities early: who needs to visit most often, and who can rotate in later?

Once a list is set, changes aren't unlimited. For institutional inmates, adding or removing names from the Visitors List is allowed once every six months. That waiting period makes last-minute adjustments tough, so treat the list like a longer-term plan rather than a week-to-week decision.

Some classifications have a faster change window. For state jail, intermediate sanction facility (ISF), and substance abuse felony punishment (SAFP) inmates, Visitors List changes are allowed once every 60 days. That's still not "anytime," but it gives more flexibility to rotate people on and off compared to the six-month cycle for institutional inmates.

• ✓ Confirm who is currently on the inmate’s Visitors List (remember the maximum is 10 names).
• ✓ Decide as a group who needs to stay on the list right now and who can wait.
• ✓ Figure out which change window applies (once every six months for institutional inmates, once every 60 days for state jail, ISF, and SAFP inmates).
• ✓ Plan adds and deletes around the next time the inmate is eligible to request a list change.

1. Start a shared weekend plan - Pick a simple way for your group to track who is visiting each weekend so the inmate does not get double-booked.
2. Assign a clear “this weekend” group - Decide who is going on the next available weekend and who is on standby for the following weekend.
3. Check the online scheduler before anyone commits - Remember, dates during a week with an existing visit will not appear, so use that as a signal to confirm plans.
4. Coordinate with the inmate on changes - Since only one visit is allowed per weekend, make sure the inmate knows who is coming so another visit is not accidentally scheduled.

If you're removed from an inmate's Visitors List, you can submit a written appeal to the Director's Review Committee (DRC). The deadline is 14 days from the date on the written notice of removal from the unit. Send appeals to: Director's Review Committee (DRC), PO Box 99, Huntsville, TX 77342.

1. Find the notice date - Use the date on the written notice of removal to start your 14-day clock.
2. Write your appeal - Keep it clear and focused, and include identifying details from the notice.
3. Mail it to the DRC on time - Send your written appeal to Director’s Review Committee (DRC), PO Box 99, Huntsville, TX 77342, within 14 days of the notice date.
4. Keep proof for your records - Save a copy of what you sent and any mailing receipt or tracking information.