How to Get Approved to Visit Someone at Salem Correctional Facility (WV): Filling the Visiting Request and Background-Check Steps

Signing the visiting request form does more than add your name to a list. Your signature certifies that your answers are true and correct, and it authorizes the facility to run a background check based on what you wrote. Take your time filling it out - your approval can hinge on the details.

Personal Contact Details

• ✓ Full legal name
• ✓ Date of birth
• ✓ Mailing address
• ✓ Physical address (if different)
• ✓ Phone number

Before you start writing, gather the basics you'll be asked for and make sure they're accurate. The form feeds into a background check, so mismatched addresses, nicknames, or outdated contact info can slow things down or raise questions later.

One question asks whether you're currently under indictment for a crime. If you answer

The form also asks whether you've ever been convicted of a felony. A

• ✓ Charge/indictment information and a brief, factual explanation (if you’re currently under indictment)
• ✓ Date(s) of felony conviction (if any)
• ✓ Crime(s) of conviction (exact names if you have them)
• ✓ Sentence details
• ✓ Facility where you were committed and the facility you were released from

Already filled out this form for the same offender at another WV juvenile facility? Don't submit a new one unless the previous form is more than a year old. Re-submitting too soon creates duplicate paperwork and delays - what you need is confirmation that your existing request is on file.

If your previous form is still within that one-year window, contact the facility where the offender is currently located. They can confirm whether your background check has been approved and tell you what comes next.

Passing the background check doesn't guarantee your visit will be allowed. The Superintendent can still deny a visit after approval, so treat the background check as a required step - not the final decision.

1. Submit your visiting request form - make sure it’s complete and signed, since your signature certifies your answers and authorizes use for a background check.
2. Contact the facility where the offender is located - ask whether your background check has been approved.
3. Ask what you need to do next - confirm any remaining requirements and what information they need from you.
4. Schedule the visit - the form directs visitors to schedule visits through the facility where the offender is located.

Submission Checklist

• ✓ Gather your personal details (name, date of birth, addresses, phone number).
• ✓ If applicable, gather indictment information and a clear explanation of the circumstances.
• ✓ If applicable, gather felony-conviction details (date(s), crime(s), sentence, facility of commitment and release).
• ✓ Fill out the form carefully and sign the certification (your answers are affirmed as true and may be used for a background check).
• ✓ Contact the facility where the offender is located to confirm background-check approval and schedule the visit.

The form tells you to contact the facility for background-check approval and to schedule visits, but it skips practical details that matter when you're planning. When you call, ask about current processing time, whether they want supporting documents for any disclosures, and the best way to follow up - so you're not left waiting in the dark.