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  • 7 May 2013

In a move that is sure to spark controversy in some quarters, Travis County has eliminated in-person visits between inmates and their friends and family members. Visits will now be allowed only by video. The debut of the new system took place on May 1.

Proponents of the new system say that it will eliminate issues that arise when transporting prisoners, as well as concerns about contraband making its way into the system through in-person visits. Others call it a further erosions of civil liberties. In that regard, all the calls will be recorded, and that will include not only the video showing the prisoner, but also the video showing the “visitor” and his or her home or other location from which the call is taking place.

Whatever you may think of the new program, it is a reminder that housing, feeding and dealing a myriad of other issues regarding the inmate population is big business. Whether it is a phone call from the jail (which runs about $4 per minute), video conferencing ($20 for a twenty minute visit), food, snacks, or other items, many millions of dollars each year go to those supplying services and products to the inmates.

In the case of the new video system, reports state that over three quarters of the money paid for a 20-minute chat, a total of $15.40, will be retained by the service provider. Some quick math indicates that if the Travis County inmates average a call each every month, the net to the service provider would be close to $375,000. And that’s just for one county. Having said that, it does appear to be a lot less expensive than a phone call, at least when compared with the exorbitant fees now being charged to speak with an inmate by telephone.

County officials say that the system will also be available for those who can’t afford the fee, although they’ll have to go to the visitation center at the correctional complex in order to engage in a video conference with an inmate. They add that in-person visits between attorneys and incarcerated clients will still be permitted.

Finally, the county says that the change will help reduce staff costs by cutting down on the amount of time devoted to transporting inmates for visits. We will be interested in finding out whether this actually turns out to be a cost-cutting measure for the county.

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Austin, TX 78701
(512) 369-3737

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