Getting Approved to Visit: Background Checks and the 20-Person Visitor List (KDOC)

The process starts with the person you want to visit. Once a resident is eligible for visiting privileges, they're responsible for getting the paperwork to prospective visitors. In practice, the resident picks up the request form, mails it to the people they want on their visiting list, and then you fill it out and mail it back to the facility for review.

KDOC runs a criminal background check on every visitor applicant. This is standard, so expect it even if you've visited other facilities before.

Because the background check is part of the review, your visit isn't confirmed until the facility finishes processing your application and gives you the green light. If you're making travel plans, wait for that approval first. No visitors are allowed in until the application clears.

Each resident can have up to 20 visitors on their approved visiting list. If the resident’s list is already full, someone usually has to be removed before a new person can be added.

Being on the list is a gatekeeper, but not the final step. You still need to be approved through the application process before you'll be allowed into the facility.

If you're removed from a resident's visiting list (whether at your request or theirs), you can't re-apply to visit for at least 180 days. That waiting period catches people off guard, so think carefully before asking to be taken off the list.

If the resident transfers to another KDOC facility, the approved visitor list transfers with them. It stays in effect unless the resident revises it or it's changed for administrative reasons.

• ✓ Schedule your in-person visit using the online visitation scheduler or by contacting the facility visitation clerk.
• ✓ Do not assume you can walk in, only approved visitors who scheduled an appointment will be admitted.
• ✓ Schedule before the weekly cutoff, scheduling closes 72 hours before visitation begins for that week.

This actually makes logistics easier. The same approved list follows the resident from facility to facility unless it gets revised or changed for administrative reasons. The 20-person cap still applies, though, so adding someone new may require the resident to make room. And if your name comes off the list at your request or the resident's, plan on waiting at least 180 days before you can apply again.