Start here
for loved ones.

Use the agency’s official locator or contact page to confirm where your loved one is held. State prisons, county jails, and federal facilities can have different processes.

Confirm approval, scheduling, identification, dress rules, and rules for children directly with the facility. For federal visits, check the BOP approval process and the specific institution’s current guidance.

Read the official phone, mail, and messaging instructions. Talk about a manageable contact routine and what you can afford. Check the current rules before sending money or a package.

Use age-appropriate conversations with children and protect familiar routines. Sesame Workshop offers activities and guidance for young children and their caregivers.

Ask about the release location, timing, pickup arrangements, allowed items, and who to contact if plans change. Check the agency’s guidance rather than relying on an old post or another person’s release experience.

Agree on transportation, food, a place to sleep, and the basics you can provide. Confirm any required housing approval with the supervising agency.

Review written release instructions and plan any required check-ins. Ask the appropriate provider about prescribed medicines and follow-up care. Use the Blueprint for documents, housing, work, and other practical needs.

Discuss visitors, privacy, household costs, responsibilities, and quiet time. Ask each other what help is welcome and what support is realistic. If children are involved, plan a calm reunion that leaves room for their pace.

Choose a few useful priorities together. Plan rides, appointments, meals, rest, and the responsibilities that cannot wait. Revisit the plan as you learn what works.

Agree on a time to talk about what is going well, what feels difficult, and what each person needs. Leave room for ordinary family life, too.

Be clear about your time, money, and household boundaries. Identify trusted people, local services, or qualified professionals who can help. Supporting someone does not mean one person has to handle every need.

Keep space for questions, feelings, and familiar routines. Let reunions and relationships develop at a pace that works for the people involved. Use age-appropriate materials or ask a qualified professional for help when needed.