Written
by James C. Lowery
An
Advanced Solution for Inmate Visitation
Onsite video visitation systems for communicating with inmates
have been available since 1995 using Closed-Circuit
Television (CCTV). But recent strides in technology and service has
brought video visitation into the 21st century. Online
video visitation allows inmates’ family and friends to visit inmates via
personal, secure Internet video conferencing from the comfort of their homes. The service is similar
to video conferencing programs people use every day, but it is specially designed for the correctional environment, with secure
video monitoring, pre-scheduled visit time allocations and the ability for the
Detention Facility to easily store, recall and review individual visits. Legacy recently
installed its newly minted remote video visitation system at the Dona
Ana County Detention Center in New Mexico.
Benefits
for Friends and Family
Online
video visitation (also known as remote video visitation) will make
visiting detained individuals easier and more accessible for friends and
family. This service allows
friends and family to have a video visit with an
inmate from the privacy and comforts of their home.
Online video visitation significantly lessens visitors’
costs. Inmates held for terms longer than one year are typically held in
large, remote state facilities that can be a long distance from where the
inmates’ family and friends live. Online video visits eliminate visitors’
travel costs, both time and expenses.
Because of unavoidable variance in travel times, on-site prisoner visits
cannot be precisely scheduled, and often they are not
pre-scheduled. Consequently visitors can spend considerable time
waiting for a visit. Online video visitation allows for precise visit
scheduling, allows visits to be scheduled across a wider range of days and
times, and drastically reduces the time a visitor must wait to see an inmate.
Benefits
for Detention Facilities
Personal visits with inmates have become a significant conduit
for contraband, which includes items
like drugs, cigarettes, cell phones and weapons. The risk of passing
contraband has caused many prisons to not allow personal contact visits with inmates.
According to the FBI, the threat of contraband within a prison is a serious problem
which has lead to continued crimes, murders and even the escape
of a death row inmate.
Even open-air visits (no contact) have contraband risks. Because
of security concerns, allowing personal visits only across a transparent
barrier is quite common. Such visits have a similar interactive closeness
to online video visitation, but bear much higher costs for all parties involved.
Typical Prison Visitation Booth. Photograph: Alamy
Another benefit of online
video visitation is that it lessens prison operating costs. Moving inmates
securely from cellblocks (or pods) to visiting areas requires substantial
prison staff time. A physically separate visitation facility also
requires dedicated staffing. Detention-grade video visitation kiosks for inmates,
like the one pictured at the beginning of this post, can be distributed throughout
the cellblocks in a way that eliminates the additional staffing necessary to
supervise video visitation stations. Such efficiencies in turn allow detention
facilities to offer a wider range of times and days for visits at a much lower cost to the facility and
taxpayers.
Benefits for Inmates
Online video visitation also
serves to promote successful prisoner re-entry into society after
release. As research has shown from the Bureau of Justice
Statistics on Inmate Recidivism, newly released inmates
face enormous challenges in surviving as law-abiding citizens. Support from family and
friends plays a critical role in successful re-entry and
integration. Online video visitation, by fostering communication between inmates
and their support group, helps inmates maintain the positive relationships
they depend on when released.
Thanks to the lower cost
and convenience of online video visitation, family and friends will be able to
visit with inmates more frequently. Warden Barela, from the
Dona Ana County Detention Center, says, “The convenience of visits from home, a
place where all family members can visit, have had a calming, positive effect
on inmate behavior. This is always welcomed.”
Let us know your thoughts on Online Video Visitation
at detention facilities by leaving a comment below, or dropping us a line on Facebook or
Google+.
About Legacy Inmate Communications
Legacy is a nationwide
provider and has been a leader in the inmate communications industry for over
17 years, with headquarters in Cypress, California. We provide favorable rates for friends and
family, unparalleled customer service and a host of technology options that
complement all parties involved in reducing inmate recidivism. Legacy is unique
in that it is a single-source provider, researching, developing, building
integration and implementing every aspect of its Inmate Telephone Systems and
Video Visitation Systems.