How to Get on an Inmate's Visiting List (Federal Bureau of Prisons)

You can only visit a federal inmate if they've put you on their visiting list and the BOP has cleared you. The inmate creates that list when they arrive at a new BOP facility, and it's not limited to parents or a spouse. The BOP's general guidance specifically includes relatives like grandparents, uncles, aunts, in-laws, and cousins as examples of eligible family members.

The BOP also recognizes visitor categories beyond family and friends. Depending on the situation, an inmate may be able to add foreign officials, members of religious groups (including clergy), members of civic groups, employers (former or prospective), sponsors, parole advisors, and attorneys. If you fall into one of these categories, ask the inmate to add you. You still need to be on the list and cleared before you can visit.

Here's the key: the inmate starts the process by creating their visiting list when they arrive at a new BOP facility. Being "on the list" doesn't mean you can walk in that same day. The BOP has to clear you first. You're only permitted to visit once both things are true: the inmate has added you, and the BOP has approved you.

There's a limited exception worth knowing about. If the inmate has just entered prison or been transferred and a visiting list doesn't exist yet, immediate family members may be allowed to visit if they can be verified through information in the inmate's Pre-Sentence Report. Don't assume this will happen automatically. Call the facility to confirm before you travel.

1. Ask the inmate to add you to the visiting list - You cannot start visiting until the inmate has placed you on their list.
2. Complete the visitor paperwork carefully - If you receive the BP-A0629 visitor form, fill it out accurately. False statements can carry criminal penalties under 18 U.S.C. § 1001, including a fine up to $250,000 or imprisonment up to five years.
3. Wait for BOP clearance before making plans - Even if the inmate adds you, you still have to be cleared by the BOP before you are allowed to visit.

• ✓ Call the specific BOP facility ahead of time to ensure your visit will be permitted.
• ✓ Confirm you have been cleared and are approved before you travel.

Once you're approved, treat that as your green light to start planning a trip. "The inmate says I'm on the list" isn't enough. You can only visit if the inmate has placed you on the visiting list and the BOP has cleared you. Before you spend money or take time off work, call the facility to confirm your visit will be permitted.

Quick Faq Next Steps

• ✓ Make sure the inmate has added you to their approved visiting list, and wait until you are cleared by the BOP before planning a visit.
• ✓ If you are a friend or associate (not family), remember the list can include no more than 10 friends/associates.
• ✓ If the inmate just arrived or was transferred and no list exists yet, immediate family verified by the Pre-Sentence Report may be allowed to visit.
• ✓ Call the facility ahead of time to ensure your visit will be permitted.
• ✓ Fill out visitor forms truthfully. The BP-A0629 warns that false statements can lead to criminal penalties under 18 U.S.C. § 1001 (up to a $250,000 fine or up to five years in prison).