How to Get on Someone’s Visiting List at MCC Chicago

You can't just show up at MCC Chicago and ask to visit. The inmate has to place you on their approved visiting list, and the BOP has to clear you. That approval process is what turns you from "someone they know" into an authorized visitor the facility will actually let through the door.

The inmate controls the first step. When someone arrives at a new BOP facility, they create a visiting list - and you need to be on it before anything else happens. Before you spend time on paperwork, ask the inmate to confirm they've added you and submitted your name for clearance. Until that's done, you won't be able to visit.

Once the inmate adds you, you'll need to complete the BP-A0629 visitor questionnaire and release form. This is the form the BOP uses to decide whether to approve you. Fill it out carefully and return it to the institution address on the form - sending it elsewhere can delay everything. The BP-A0629 asks for more than basic contact info. It includes a release/authorization section for the background review. Leave parts blank or skip the signature, and your request can stall. You may not get further consideration until you provide what's missing.

• ✓ Fill out the BP-A0629 visitor questionnaire completely and legibly
• ✓ Complete the authorization/release section (don’t leave it unsigned)
• ✓ Return the form to the institution address listed on the BP-A0629

When you sign the BP-A0629, you're authorizing the release of criminal offense records to the Warden. The BOP uses what you provide - plus records they're allowed to review - to decide whether you can be approved.

Sort out logistics before you travel. Visiting days and times vary, so confirm the current schedule before making the trip. Also plan your transportation - there's no government reimbursement for getting to MCC Chicago, so you'll need to arrange your own ride.

• ✓ Confirm the current visiting days and times before you travel
• ✓ Make sure you’ve been cleared/approved before you head in
• ✓ Arrange your own transportation (no government reimbursement)

MCC Chicago is a pretrial detention facility, which means people arrive, transfer out, or have their status change more frequently than at long-term prisons. If you're trying to get approved, ask the inmate what their unit team says about timing and next steps. The basics still apply: you can't visit unless the inmate has put you on their approved list and the BOP has cleared you.