Conjugal visits are offered to inmates under the care of MDOC. However, there are strict guidelines and procedures. Conjugal visits are only allowed to eligible legally married inmates (married is defined as the union of a man and a woman). The spouse of the inmate must provide proof of marriage. Common law marriages are not considered legal marriages as defined by MDOC, and therefore do not qualify for conjugal visit privileges.
Inmates that qualify for conjugal visits are those that are "A" or "B" custody (minimum custody levels) and maintain an acceptable level of good behavior. In addition, eligible inmates cannot have a rule violation report (a report that is written after a rule is broken such as fighting, swearing, etc.) in the last 6 months.
Inmates that are identified to be at risk of transmitting HIV or any other sexually transmitted disease (syphilis, gonorrhea, etc.) to a non-infected person are not eligible for conjugal visits. Inmates are given one hour for a conjugal visit and provided with the following items: soap, condoms, tissue, sheets, pillowcase, face towel and a bath towel. The inmate and spouse are searched before and after each visit for security reasons.