Your First Visit to a Newly Incarcerated Loved One at MCI‑Framingham: What to Expect

If your loved one was just committed to MCI‑Framingham, visiting works a little differently during intake. This guide covers the temporary visitor setup for new admissions, the 40 business day cutoff, and how to keep your visit from getting delayed. For the most exact, facility-level details, use the MCI‑Framingham Visiting Procedures PDF as your main reference.

In the early period after someone is newly committed, they're allowed two visitors and a reasonable number of visiting children while those visitors go through the pre-approval process. This temporary allowance doesn't replace the normal requirement to be cleared. Before you go, make sure your loved one has added you to their pre-approved visiting list. Without that step, you won't be able to visit.

The temporary visitor window isn't open-ended. Those two temporary visitors become inactive after 40 business days if they haven't been properly approved through the visitor application process. Get the paperwork moving early so you don't lose visiting access partway through the intake period.

1. Complete the Visitor Application Form: Fill it out fully so it can be processed for approval.
2. Mail the application to the institution where your loved one is housed: Send it to the specific facility you intend to visit.
3. Confirm it was sent and keep a copy: Hold onto a copy for your records so you can reference what you submitted if you need to follow up.

• ✓ Double-check that your Visitor Application Form is complete before you mail it.
• ✓ Make sure your loved one has added you to their pre-approved visiting list before you try to visit.
• ✓ Follow up with the institution about processing status early enough that you are not bumping up against the 40 business day deadline.

MCI‑Framingham has a facility-specific Visiting Procedures PDF (English). Use it to confirm the current rules and find the right address for paperwork, since applications must be mailed to the institution where the person is housed.

If your temporary visitor status has already gone inactive, you'll need to get back into the approval pipeline. Submit a new Visitor Application Form by mailing it to the institution where your loved one is housed, then contact the institution to check on its status. Before resending anything, review the MCI‑Framingham Visiting Procedures PDF so you're working from the most current instructions.