How to Get on an Inmate's Approved Visiting List (Connecticut DOC)

Before you can visit anyone in Connecticut DOC, your name must be on their approved visiting list. No exceptions. Here's the catch: the list isn't unlimited. Each inmate can only have a certain number of approved visitors, and that cap depends on the facility's security level. If you're told the list is "full," the inmate has already hit their maximum. They'll need to remove someone before you can be added.

First, confirm where the inmate is currently housed. Use the Connecticut DOC Inmate Search tool to find or verify their assigned facility. That location determines everything else - the visiting schedule, the approval process, and any facility-specific rules.

Once you know the facility, follow Connecticut DOC's published process for getting approved and scheduling a visit. The DOC points visitors to Frequently Asked Questions #11 ("How do I visit someone who is incarcerated") for the full rundown. Use that as your checklist before you try to schedule anything.

ID and Docs

• ✓ Valid photo identification (required for all visitors to enter a correctional facility)

• ✓ Valid birth certificate (required for all visitors under age 16)
• ✓ One additional document with the child’s name (for example, a report card or Social Security card)

Timing matters. Connecticut DOC requires visitors to arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled visit to check in. Show up late, and your visit may be cut short or canceled entirely. First-timers should arrive even earlier - lines happen, and check-in can take longer than expected.

Skip state-observed holidays. Connecticut DOC doesn't hold visits on those days - New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day are all off the table.

Being on the approved list doesn't guarantee a visit. Health-related restrictions can temporarily block social visits. If an inmate is on any Quarantine Status, they can't have visitors until cleared by the Health Services Unit.

Running into problems getting approved or scheduled? Pause and verify the current requirements for that facility and the inmate's status. Rules change. A quick call to confirm can save you a wasted trip.

Procedures vary by location, so double-check before you make plans. Look up the inmate's assigned facility using Inmate Search, then review that facility's current visiting instructions. You're looking for the schedule and any facility-specific steps - but keep two things in mind: you must be on the approved list, and you must follow the process for that specific facility.