How to Get Approved to Visit Someone at North Central Correctional Institution
To visit someone at North Central Correctional Institution, you need to be on the inmate's pre-approved visiting list. The process starts with filling out a Visitor Application and mailing it to the institution.
North Central uses a pre-approval system. The inmate must add you to their visiting list by having a Visitor Application Form submitted to the institution. If you're not on that list, you'll be turned away, even if you made the trip.
North Central also has its own facility-specific visiting procedures. Mass.gov hosts a North Central Correctional Institution Visiting Procedure PDF. Treat that document as your go-to reference for how this facility handles visits.
Grab two documents from Mass.gov: the Visitor Application and the North Central Correctional Institution Visiting Procedure PDF. When you're ready to mail your application, use the mailing address listed on the third page of the Visitor Application, or the address on the prison locations page.
Tip: Read the North Central visiting procedure PDF before filling out the application. You don't want to be caught off guard by a rule that affects your first visit.
Once you've completed the Visitor Application, mail it to the institution. The mailing address is printed on the third page of the application. You can also find institution mailing addresses on the prison locations page.
- Check the current visiting hours: Visiting hours are listed on the prison locations page.
- Call the institution to verify: Visiting hours can change, so a quick call can confirm the schedule and help you make sure nothing has been updated.
- Ask if your application was received: If you mailed the form and you’re worried it’s lost or delayed, calling is also the most direct way to confirm it arrived.
Visitor List Limits
- ✓ Maximum security: up to 8 pre-approved visitors
- ✓ Medium security: up to 8 pre-approved visitors
- ✓ Minimum security/Pre-release: up to 10 pre-approved visitors
If your family situation doesn't fit neatly into those limits, there is a way to request more. Exceptions to exceed the maximum number of visitors are possible, but the inmate has to initiate the request, and it requires the Superintendent's written approval.
Keep in mind that the visiting list isn't unlimited or constantly changeable. An inmate's visitor list may be revised three times per year, so coordinate with other family members about who should be added before submitting.
After you mail your Visitor Application, the institution processes it. Both you and the inmate will be notified whether you're approved or denied.
- Allow time for processing: Approval is not immediate, and you’ll be notified once a decision is made.
- Use the prison locations page for contact details: That page lists each institution’s information, including mailing addresses.
- Call to verify visiting hours if you’re planning a trip: Hours are subject to change, and the institution can confirm the current schedule by phone.
Practical Privacy Minors
- ✓ Minors (under 18) do not require pre-approval, but they must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian with physical custody who is on the inmate’s pre-approved visiting list.
- ✓ If the adult bringing the child is not the parent or guardian with physical custody, that adult must submit a completed Minor Consent Form and obtain the Superintendent’s approval before visiting.
- ✓ An inmate may sign the Minor Consent Form if the inmate is listed as the child’s parent on the child’s birth certificate.
Bring a valid photo ID when you visit. A state driver's license, passport, or military ID all work.
Privacy note: Mass.gov is subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law. Information you submit (including forms) may become public record and could be disclosed upon request.
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