Screening Out Family Time- The For-Profit Video Visitation Industry In Prisons And Jails

This report exposes the drawbacks of implementing video-visits in jails and prisons, particularly as an alternative to in-person visits. The stark contrast between companies and prison facilities’ promises about video-visits and the experiences of people who have used these services demonstrate the need for vast improvement. The authors discuss how unpopular video-visits are, identify the worst practices of the industry, and provide recommendations to ensure that video visitation can fulfill its potential to strengthen the ties between someone who is incarcerated and their loved ones. 

You can read the full text of the report here. 

Key findings

• Poor quality video visits increase the anxiety of family members because they cannot adequately assess the well-being of their loved one who is incarcerated as they would during an in-person visit.
• 74 percent of jails banned in-person visits when they implemented video visitation.
• With the understanding that they will not be financially responsible for telecommunications services, facilities negotiate contracts without carefully considering the costs or who will have to pay.  
• In Travis County, Texas, disciplinary cases for possession of contraband increased by 54 percent after the county fully transitioned to video-only visitation. 

Recommendations

• The Federal Communications Commission should require user-friendly features such as charging by the minute instead of per visit. 
• State regulators and legislators should immediately implement regulations to control video visitation products provided by prison and jail telephone companies and prohibit county jails from signing contracts that ban in-person visits. 
• Correctional officials and procurement officials should: refuse commissions, thoroughly vet contracts for expensive features that facilities do not want or need, and insist that contracts list and justify all costs and fees associated with video visits.