Understanding North Central's Visiting List Limits: Who Counts and Who Doesn't

Under ODRC policy, an incarcerated person’s visiting list may include up to fifteen (15) approved adult visitors. Within that total, the list can include no more than two (2) friends. In plain terms, “friends” are typically non-family social contacts, while “family” generally refers to immediate relatives as the policy uses the term. That distinction matters because you can’t “make room” for more friends by calling them family - once the two friend slots are filled, adding another friend usually means removing a current friend first.

Even with the statewide baseline, each institution’s managing officer can set local visiting parameters - like the number of visitors allowed at a time, how often visits can happen, how long they last, who gets priority, and the visiting hours. So while the 15-adult / 2-friend structure is the starting point, the day-to-day “how many, when, and for how long” can still be shaped by North Central’s local guidelines. If the institution makes a significant change to those local visiting guidelines, it must be made available for visitors and incarcerated people to review at least 30 days before the change takes effect. If you’re hearing “the rules changed,” that 30-day window is a good reason to ask what changed, when it becomes effective, and where it’s posted.

There’s also a transitional rule that matters for long-standing cases: if your loved one was already in custody before March 1, 2025, they retain their current number of family members and friends on their visiting list. That doesn’t mean the “two friends” idea disappears when changes are requested. If the incarcerated person asks to add a new friend and they’re already at (or above) two friends, they’ll need to remove a current friend first. If you’re trying to get added and you’re being told “they’re full,” ask whether the issue is the overall adult cap, the two-friend cap, or both - because the fix is different depending on what limit they’ve hit.

Some visitors fall into “official” or special categories under ODRC rules, and those categories can be handled differently than regular social visitors. Because the exact definitions and how they’re counted can depend on the policy details and how the institution applies them, the safest move is to confirm directly through the current ODRC visiting instructions and North Central’s local guidance when you’re trying to add someone who isn’t a typical family member or friend.

You can be on more than one ODRC incarcerated person’s visiting list at the same time. This comes up a lot with large families, or when two relatives are incarcerated at different institutions. The main exception is if a visitor has been restricted by another ODRC institution for actions that present a threat to the safety, security, health, or good order of the institution. If you’re being told you can’t be added to a second person’s list, it’s worth asking whether there’s an existing restriction on file.

Visiting lists start getting built early. When someone arrives at a reception center, they must declare immediate family and the mother or father of their children on the Incarcerated Person Reception Visiting List (DRC2248). Reception staff then enter that list into the DOTS portal screen (VSL). That’s why, early on, you may hear that “family has to be declared” before anything else moves forward. If someone important was missed at reception, the next step is usually getting the list corrected through the facility’s normal update process.

1. Ask what limit is blocking the change - If someone can’t be added, find out whether it’s the 15 approved adult cap, the two-friend cap, or a different local visiting restriction.
2. Have your loved one request the update through facility procedures - Visiting lists are maintained on the institution side (including DOTS VSL), so changes generally need to be initiated by the incarcerated person using the forms/process the facility requires (including updates tied to the DRC2248 information).
3. If the request is for a new “friend,” plan for a swap when needed - When the friend slots are already full, adding a new friend requires removing a current friend first.
4. If your loved one was incarcerated before March 1, 2025, factor in the transitional rule - They retain their current number of family members and friends, but any requested changes can still trigger the friend-limit issue when adding friends.
5. Confirm North Central’s local processing details - The managing officer can set local visiting parameters, so it helps to confirm how North Central wants updates submitted and how long changes typically take to show up.