The 18-Person Visitor List and Visit Limits at NC Prisons (how approval works for Scotland CI)

At Scotland CI - like all NC prisons - you can't just show up. Your visitor application must be completed and approved by facility staff first. Each incarcerated person can have up to 18 approved visitors total (adults and minors combined) on their list. Visits are also capped: one session per week, two hours maximum. And even with approval, only three visitors can attend a single session under normal rules. The warden can adjust that number based on facility needs.

Before you make travel plans, clear the first hurdle: approval. A completed visitor application must be approved before any visit can happen. Typically, the person you're visiting gets blank application forms from the facility and mails them to the people they want to add. Every adult and every minor needs their own completed application, and forms must be returned to the prison where the person is currently housed.

• ✓ Get a blank visitor application from the person you’re visiting (they request the form and mail it out).
• ✓ Fill out the application completely for each person who wants to visit (adults and minors each need one).
• ✓ Return the completed application to the prison facility where your loved one is currently housed, following the form’s instructions.
• ✓ Wait for facility approval before you plan a visit or show up to the visitation room.

NC prisons cap the visitation list at 18 approved visitors per incarcerated person - adults and minors combined. Think of this as the master roster. Only people on this list can be scheduled to visit. Because space is limited, be intentional about who applies. This matters especially for larger families where grandparents, siblings, partners, and children all want time.

• ✓ Put the most consistent visitors on the list first (the people who can actually make the trip).
• ✓ If children will visit, make sure the right adults are also applying so a minor can be accompanied as needed.
• ✓ Use a few slots for “backup” visitors in case someone’s schedule changes long-term.
• ✓ Coordinate with other relatives before applications get sent in, so the 18 slots don’t get used up by accident.

Approval doesn't mean unlimited visits. Under normal circumstances, the person you're visiting gets one session per week, lasting no more than two hours. If multiple family members want to visit regularly, you'll need to take turns week to week rather than stacking visits.

There's also a cap on how many people can visit at once. The normal limit is three approved visitors per session. A large group may need to rotate attendance, even if everyone is on the 18-person list. Wardens can adjust this number based on space and operational needs.

1. Pick your weekly “core” visitors - decide who most needs to be in the room each week, knowing there’s normally only one session per week (up to two hours).
2. Build a rotation for everyone else - if more than three approved visitors want time, schedule a simple rotation so different people attend on different weeks.
3. Keep groups to three unless told otherwise - plan each visit as a three-person max session unless the facility directs you differently.
4. Coordinate before you travel - make sure everyone going that day is approved and that you’re not accidentally planning a fourth person for the same session.