How to Apply for Visiting Privileges (Penitentiary of New Mexico)

To visit someone at PNM, you need approval through the New Mexico Corrections Department (NMCD) visiting process. Your loved one typically submits names of people they'd like to see, and the facility reviews each visitor application before adding anyone to the approved list. On probation? Plan ahead. NMCD requires approval from your Probation or Parole Officer, plus a signed travel permit from that officer, before you can visit any NMCD facility.

NMCD facilities must provide inmates with written visitation information within 24 hours of arrival. That guidance covers the practical details you'll need once approved - visiting days and hours, dress code, ID requirements, what you can bring into the visiting room, and how special visits work. If something's unclear while you're filling out your paperwork, ask your loved one to check the facility's written procedures.

Make sure you're using the correct form: the NMCD

• ✓ Missing original signature(s)
• ✓ Missing date(s)
• ✓ Missing Social Security number
• ✓ Missing date of birth

Before visiting, you must read and sign the Visitor Statement of Understanding (Attachment CD-100201.A). This isn't optional paperwork. NMCD requires it before any visit - without it, you can be turned away even if your application is otherwise approved.

Approval doesn't last forever. The Visitor Application for Visiting Privileges (CD-100201.1) must be renewed every two years. Mark your calendar when you're approved so you don't get caught off guard.

Renewals get held up for the same reasons first-time applications do: missing information. Staff screen applications for original signatures, dates, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth. If anything's missing, you'll need to resubmit - and your visiting privileges may be interrupted until the corrected paperwork goes through.

Visiting procedures vary across NMCD facilities, and some locations require appointments. Before making plans, confirm whether PNM requires you to schedule in advance - don't assume walk-in visiting is available.

1. Confirm where and how to submit your paperwork - Ask the facility (or your loved one’s caseworker) who the visiting coordinator is, where the application should be sent, and whether the submission must be mailed or can be delivered another way.
2. Ask about appointment rules and any supporting documents - Find out whether PNM is appointment-only for visits and whether you’ll need to bring or provide anything extra (for example, paperwork related to your status).
3. Check whether any additional visitor forms apply to you - If you’re requesting a special visit, responding to a proposed action, or applying for tele-visits, ask which NMCD form you should use for that situation.

After you submit CD-100201.1, the facility reviews your application and makes an approval decision. If something affects your visiting status, NMCD uses specific forms to document actions like denial, suspension, special visit requests, or hearing-related notices. Pay attention to any written paperwork connected to your status - these decisions are documented.

If you don't hear anything for a while, check in through your loved one or the facility to see whether your application is complete and moving forward. The most common delay? Missing required information - original signatures, dates, Social Security numbers, or dates of birth. When that happens, you'll be asked to resubmit, and the clock starts over.