How to Get on an Inmate's Visiting List at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center

At Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, most adult visitors need pre-approval before they can visit. Show up without being on the inmate's approved list, and you'll be turned away - even if you drove hours to get there. Handle this step first.

Here's what trips people up: the inmate adds visitors, not you. They submit each visitor's name using a Visitor Application Form that gets mailed to the institution. Until they complete that step, you can't visit.

1. Ask the inmate to add you - They’re responsible for submitting each visitor’s name for approval.
2. Have the inmate complete the Visitor Application Form - This is the form used to request that you be placed on the pre-approved visiting list.
3. Make sure the completed form is mailed to the institution - The Visitor Application Form has to be mailed to Souza-Baranowski for processing before you can visit.

Bringing a child? The rules work differently. Minors under 18 don't need pre-approval themselves, but they must come with a parent or legal guardian who has physical custody and is already on the approved list. If the adult bringing the child isn't the parent or legal guardian, they'll need to submit a completed Minor Consent Form and get the Superintendent's approval before visiting with the minor.

Souza-Baranowski is a maximum-security facility, and the visiting list limit is tight: inmates can have up to 8 pre-approved visitors. If they're already at the cap, someone needs to come off before anyone new can be added.

If you're not getting added because the list is full - or the inmate wants to swap visitors - timing matters. Inmates can revise their visitor list up to three times per year. Changes aren't unlimited.

After the Visitor Application Form is mailed in, the institution reviews it. The inmate should hear back, and you should also receive notice of whether you're approved or denied. Once approved, confirm the current visiting hours before making the trip - schedules can change.

Practical Tips

• ✓ Bring a valid photo ID that’s on the accepted list (for example: a state driver’s license, passport, military ID, or an official state/federal photo ID).
• ✓ After you’re approved, verify the visiting hours with the institution before you go.

• ✓ Before you make plans, confirm with the inmate that you’re on their pre-approved visiting list (and that your name is listed the way it appears on your ID).

• ✓ Minors (under 18) don’t need pre-approval, but they must be accompanied by a parent/legal guardian who has physical custody and is on the inmate’s pre-approved visiting list.
• ✓ If you’re not the child’s parent/legal guardian, you’ll need a completed Minor Consent Form and the Superintendent’s approval before visiting with the minor.