The 20-Person Visitor List at Larned: How It Works and Who to Include

At Larned, each resident can have up to 20 people on their approved visiting list. That number fills up faster than most families expect - especially if you’re trying to include immediate family, in-laws, and the people who actually have the time and transportation to visit. Treat the list like a limited resource: the goal is to make sure the people most likely to visit regularly have a spot.

The “primary visitor” rule is where a lot of confusion starts, so it helps to separate married and unmarried residents. If the resident is married - by license or common law - the spouse has to be listed as the primary visitor. That means you don’t get to “choose” someone else for that primary slot, even if another family member is the one who visits most often.

If the resident is unmarried, they can designate any person who is 18 or older as their primary visitor, as long as that person is not already listed as the primary visitor for another resident. In practical terms, this can matter in families where more than one person is incarcerated - one adult can’t be the primary visitor for two different residents at the same time.

• ✓ Married (by license or common law): spouse must be the primary visitor
• ✓ Unmarried: primary visitor can be any person age 18+
• ✓ The primary visitor can’t be listed as the primary visitor for another resident
• ✓ The resident can change their primary visitor every six months

There is an exception that helps families with more than one loved one in custody: a visitor can be on more than one resident’s visiting list if the visitor is an immediate family member of each resident. So, for example, a parent who is immediate family to two residents can appear on both lists under this rule.

1. Start with the “must-haves” - Put the people who are most likely to visit consistently at the top of your list.
2. Prioritize the people who can realistically travel - If someone lives far away, has limited transportation, or has health issues, you may decide they don’t need a permanent spot.
3. Avoid “maybe someday” names - A 20-person cap disappears quickly when you add distant acquaintances who rarely visit.
4. Keep a running draft you can update with the resident - As work schedules, childcare, and relationships change, revisit who actually needs to be on the list.
5. Save room for surprises - If you can, don’t fill all 20 slots immediately; it’s easier to add someone later than to reshuffle under pressure.

If the 20-person limit (or the normal approval process) doesn’t fit your situation, there’s a “special visit” option. Under certain circumstances, the Warden or a designee may authorize a special visit that the resident requests through Form-9. These special visits may be granted for situations like a single visit before a visitor’s background verification and approval is completed, when a visitor has traveled 150 miles (one way) or more, or when the visit supports the resident’s rehabilitative needs or other correctional goals.

1. Have the resident start the request - Special visits are initiated by the resident through their unit team using Form-9.
2. Explain the reason clearly - Examples include a one-time visit before background approval, a visitor traveling 150+ miles one way, or a visit tied to rehabilitative needs/correctional goals.
3. Submit for review - The request goes to the Warden or a designee for authorization.
4. Wait for approval before making firm plans - Treat it as a request until the facility authorizes it.