Getting approved to visit someone at North Fork Corrections Facility (what to do and how long it takes)
Getting approved to visit someone at North Fork takes paperwork and patience. You'll need to submit a visitor form, and if you're 18 or older, a background check adds up to eight weeks to the timeline.
To get on someone's approved visiting list, you need to complete the Oklahoma Department of Corrections Visitor Request Form (DOC 030118B). Until that form is submitted and processed, you won't be able to visit.
ODOC still accepts paper applications at headquarters in Oklahoma City. Address the envelope to the Visitation Unit (not to the inmate) and mail it to: Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Attn: Visitation Unit, P.O. Box 11400, Oklahoma City, OK 73136-0400. For general questions, ODOC's physical address is 3400 Martin Luther King Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73111-4298, and the main phone number is 405-425-2500.
If you're 18 or older, expect a background check. This is standard, but it means your application won't be approved instantly - your name has to clear first.
Plan for this to take a while. ODOC says approval can take up to eight weeks, so submit your form early - especially if you're coordinating travel or aiming for a specific date.
How you'll find out: ODOC notifies the inmate when the approval process is complete. Your loved one will then let you know the scheduled date and time for visitation.
Submitting the Visitor Request Form starts the approval process - it doesn't automatically schedule a visit. If you're using a visitation request that says your visit "is not confirmed until a team member has called back with a confirmation," take that literally. Don't book travel until you get that call. Once your approval clears, the inmate will be notified and will share the scheduled date and time with you.
There's one exception that can help right after someone transfers in. If the inmate just arrived from Lexington Assessment and Reception Center (LARC) or Mabel Bassett Assessment and Reception Center (MBARC) and doesn't have an approved visiting list yet, family members listed in the inmate's field file can get one visit within 30 days - even before the visiting forms are returned to unit staff. You still need to submit the Visitor Request Form (DOC 030118B).
Practical Checklist
- ✓ Complete the Visitor Request Form (DOC 030118B) to start the approval process.
- ✓ Remember that all visitors must submit a Visitor Application Form.
- ✓ If you’re mailing a paper application, address it to Attn: Visitation Unit (not to the inmate).
- ✓ Mail it to: Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Attn: Visitation Unit, P.O. Box 11400, Oklahoma City, OK 73136-0400.
- ✓ Keep a copy of what you send for your records.
Planning tip: Inmates can have up to 20 visitors on their approved list. Children under 18 don't count toward that total.
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