Visiting jails using remote video visitation

• In Event: Visitation and Social Contact Behind Bars

Abstract

Many family and friends of inmates go to great lengths to maintain contact with their incarcerated loved ones. People spend time and money to travel to correctional facilities for visits, but the introduction of new technology is presenting visitors with alternatives. Remote video visitation allows visitors to conduct visits from outside of the correctional facility. Visitors may log onto the internet and use a webcam from anywhere to see and hear inmates in prisons and jails that have adopted this technology. The authors conducted internet surveys of 260 individuals with remote video visitation experience. Respondents were asked about the advantages and disadvantages of using the internet to conduct visits.

Authors

• Christine Tartaro, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey

• Marissa P. Levy, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey