Mabel Basset Visitor List Rules: Understanding the 20-Person Cap and Who Counts

At Mabel Bassett, each incarcerated person can have up to 20 people on their approved visitors list. This is the master list - if you're not on it and approved, you won't get in.

Here's something families often miss: children under 18 don't count toward that 20-person cap. Kids, nieces, nephews, and other minors won't take up slots the way adults do.

Being on the approved list doesn't mean everyone can visit at once. Mabel Bassett allows a maximum of five approved visitors at a time. Larger family groups will need to split up and rotate - otherwise, some people will be waiting.

When the visiting room fills up, staff may need to make space for new arrivals. The visitation officer can ask visitors to end their visits voluntarily, starting with whoever was processed first, until there's room for incoming visitors.

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• ✓ If more than five people want to visit, split into smaller groups so you stay within the five-visitors-at-a-time limit.
• ✓ Use the 20-person approved-list cap as your long-term planning number for adults who may want to visit.
• ✓ Don’t panic about minors “taking up spots” on the list - children under 18 don’t count toward the 20-person total.
• ✓ If you’re juggling a lot of adult relatives and friends, rotate which adults are on the approved list over time so the most essential visitors can go first.

1. Count your group - make sure no more than five approved visitors plan to visit at the same time.
2. Stagger your plan - if you expect a busy day, consider rotating who goes in together so you’re not all trying to visit at once.
3. Be ready to rotate if the room fills - if staff ask visitors to end visits to free up space, remember you’re permitted up to two hours before a visit may be terminated due to capacity issues.

If your visit gets cut short due to capacity, don't take it personally - it's a space issue. You're entitled to two hours before staff can ask you to leave for this reason. If you're asked to wrap up, stay calm and ask about returning later. This is especially useful if you arrived with a larger group and can rotate who visits next.