The Benefits of Video Visitation in Correctional Facilities

A Look at How This Technology Can Reduce Recidivism, Cut Costs and Make Correctional Facilities Safer.

Inmate PoPulatIon DeclInes, challenges RemaIn

In December of 2013, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) – an arm of the Justice Department – released a report that said the United States saw a decrease in its correctional population (on probation, parole, in prison or jail) for the fourth consecutive year in 2012. Specifically, the report says that at year’s end about 6.94 million Americans were under the watch of our correctional system. That equates to 1 in 35 adults.

While this decrease is encouraging and shows that the amount of criminal behavior is declining, cor-rectional facilities still had about 2.3 million inmates within their walls at the end of 2012 – 744,500 located in local jails, 217,800 in federal facilities and roughly 1.35 million in state prisons, the report says.

That’s more than 2 million inmates to watch, feed, clothe, provide medical care for, transport back and forth to visitation areas, among the many other services our correctional facilities provide. And when put into historical context, the number is even more alarming. According to a 2013 article by The New York Times, “Imprisonment rates in the United States have been on an upward march since the early 1970s. From 1978, when there were 307,276 inmates in state and federal prisons, the population increased annually, reaching a peak of 1,615,487 inmates in 2009.”

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Many of those in custody aren’t there for the first time. In 2014, the Bureau of Justice Statis-tics released a study titled Recidivism of State Prisoners Released in 2005.

The report tracked a sample of state prison inmates who were released in 2005 and inves-tigated whether or not they committed crimes again through 2010. Among the BJS findings are:

• Within three years, 67.8 percent of those released were arrested for a new crime

• Within five years, 76.6 percent were arrested for a new crime

• 36.8 percent of those released were arrested within six months after being released

• 16.1 percent of released prisoners accounted for 48.4 percent of the nearly 1.2 million arrests that occurred during the examined five-year period.

No matter how you cut it, that’s a lot of recidivism, and it has government officials on the state and federal level looking at numerous ways to reduce these rates. Understandably, there isn’t a one-step solution. Many facilities have tried uncountable approaches to reduce recidivism. A few of these efforts include:

• Behavioral healthcare treatment and therapy while an inmate is incarcerated

• Vocational and educational programs

• Transitional programs that help inmates once they are released into the public

• Electronic monitoring

• Mentorship and life-skills programs.

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Today, however, facilities have a relatively new approach that is seen by many as another way to re-duce these rates while also provid-ing many other added benefits for correctional facilities.

Video visitation uses video-con-ferencing technologies that allow inmates and their family/friends to see and communicate with each other through monitors or other electronic devices while each party is at a different location or facility.

Some of the benefits of video visitation include:

• Reduced costs for facilities since fewer hours are used to move inmates to visitation areas

• Online registration and scheduling improve ease and accessibility for visitors

• Reduced lines and wait times for visitor check-in

• More visits can be conducted and visitation hours expanded without additional staff

• Decreased contraband transfer between visitor and inmate since each party is at a different location

• Allowing law enforcement officials to listen to conversations and gather evidence regarding criminal behavior

ReDucIng RecIDIVIsm

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“Video visitation improves the efficiency and safety of inmate visitation. Video stations are installed directly into inmate housing pods, so officers don’t have to escort inmates around the facility,” said Tim Eickhoff, President and Owner of Renovo Software, Inc., a provider of video visitation software solutions. “Visitors can then connect to those stations from similar stations in a visitor center, at another facility, or even a convenient location in the community like the courthouse or library. Today, a lot of our customers are beginning to utilize internet video visits, which allows visitors to connect with inmates online from their PC or mobile devices.”

Eickhoff said that video visitation began with analog systems in the mid-1990s that often didn’t do much beyond allowing staff to manually connect and disconnect video stations. Since then, it has evolved to include dozens of other invaluable features like online registration and scheduling, restriction and policy management, reporting tools, auto-notifications and revenue-generation options.

“Today, not only do our products have internet visitation capabilities, our platform is actually interoper-able with leading video conferencing equipment,” he said. “We are expanding the safety and efficiency of video communication in corrections by connecting inmates to public defenders’ offices, courtrooms, job training, rehabilitation programs, and countless other locations.”

“Visitors can then connect to those stations from similar stations in a visitor center, at another facility, or even a convenient location in the community like the courthouse or library. Today, a lot of our customers are beginning to utilize internet video visits, which al-lows visitors to connect with inmates online from their PC or mobile devices.”

In this white paper, we point to leading resources and include commentary from industry experts that discuss why video visitation is a valuable investment for correctional facilities. It also will report how this method of visitation can help inmates re-enter society and stay there and lend advice on what steps to take if your correctional facility is looking to implement video visitation.

Much research has been conducted on the effect of visitation on recidivism among inmates. It is widely believed and research indicates that the more visits from family and friends, the less likely the incarcer-ated will commit crimes once they are released from custody.

Although a couple of years old, the Minnesota Department of Corrections researched this topic and published its findings in a report titled The Effects of Visitation on Offender Recidivism: Findings from Minnesota.

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In this report, officials examined 16,420 inmates who were released between 2003-2007. In particular, they looked at the number of visitations they received during the time of their confinement and whether they reoffended upon release.

According to a presentation given by Tom Roy, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Correc-tions, that summarizes the research, “Any visit reduced recidivism by 13 percent for reconvictions and 25 percent for technical violation revocations.”

The presentation also states that when visited by siblings, parents, in-laws, mentors and clergy, inmates were less likely to offend, while research pointed to an increase in recidivism when the inmate was vis-ited by ex-spouses. The learning was that “offenders with larger social support networks” were less likely to commit a crime again.

One of the implications of these findings, according to Roy’s presentation, is the need for facilities to regard visitation “as another type of programming” that identifies those inmates with low social support.

And what was one of the methods the report recommends exploring in an effort to combat low social support? Video visitation.

Tim Eickhoff of Renovo adds, “Visitation is one of the primary ways for inmates to keep in touch with their support network on the outside. Several studies show a direct link between visitation and reducing recidivism. In fact, our customers have seen visitation numbers increase by as much as 20 percent. With increases in efficiency, facilities can expand visitation hours, and a detailed log of visits makes restricting inmates to a limited list of pre-approved visitors far less necessary. Additionally, by allowing connections between inmate stations and mainstream video conferencing networks, we can further impact recidivism rates by providing better access to re-entry programs and other services.”

“Relationships with family and friends are crucial for our overall goal to reduce recidivism and to help an inmate re-enter society,” said Jeff Hansen of Telmate, a provider of video visitation products to the corrections industry. “According to the Administrative Office of the United States Courts Federal Probation Journal, inmates who are better adjusted to the prison environment and connected to the outside world are more likely to refrain from conduct that would cause them to receive disciplinary infractions or jeopar-dize early release.”

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In an opinion piece in The New York Times, Doug Phillips, the Chief Jail Administrator of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Des Moines, IA, said video visitation is especially beneficial for a parent who is trying to juggle child care, a work schedule and other responsibilities while their significant other is incarcerated. And like Hansen, he agrees that video visitation keeps children out of the harsh environ-ments often found in correctional facilities.

“The biggest benefit I see is that it minimizes or eliminates the need for children of inmates to be ex-posed to a jail setting. Video visitation allows children to maintain a connection with an incarcerated parent from their homes, where they feel more relaxed and are not intimidated by their surroundings,” Phillips wrote in the article.

It also relieves financial burdens placed upon families who would otherwise have to journey – some-times great distances – to the facility.

“Chances are correctional facilities are not right next door. With remote video visitation, friends and family can get immediate and personal communications without any of the hassle, expense or inconve-nience associated with traveling to the facility,” Hansen said. “Video visitation offers a virtual solution to visits, therefore reducing the overall cost of visitations on the part of families, which can include time, hotels, airfare and car rental.”

moRe VIsIts, ease oF PRocess FoR FamIlIes, noRmalIzeD enVIRonments

One of the obvious benefits of video visitation systems – including the use of new internet technologies – is that inmates can communicate with their loved ones more often than they can through traditional visita-tion methods. Many times, family members are incarcerated hours away from their homes, sometimes in completely different states. These travel times can often be taxing on family members who have to travel to the facility for contact visitations, especially those who do not have personal transportation.

There often is a tremendous process involved in facilitating these visits, as well. Aside from the travel, family members have to be searched before entering the visitation area and often have to wait long peri-ods of time before seeing their loved ones. Additionally, visiting a correctional facility can be a traumatic experience for a young child visiting his or her parent.

“Going to a facility for an in-person visit can be inconvenient, uncomfortable, and even intimidating, especially for small children,” Hansen said. “Inmates can now meet face-to-face with more contacts than ever before – far away friends, counselors, attorneys, religious leaders and their children.”

“The biggest benefit I see is that it minimizes or eliminates the need for children of inmates to be exposed to a jail setting. Video visita-tion allows children to maintain a connection with an incarcerated parent from their homes, where they feel more relaxed and are not intimidated by their surroundings.”

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But video visitation shouldn’t just be a matter of bolting down the product, applying the technology and implementing a plan. Those who actually will be using video visitation technology should be considered when a facility is designed and products are picked.

“It is vital that a space be planned that takes into consideration the need to provide a family member or inmate a sense of personal space and affords them the opportunity to speak privately,” said Joseph M. Mrak, AIA, NCARB, CSI, the principal owner and architect of RQAW Engineers and Architects. “Any-thing reflecting a normalized environment is helpful in these facilities. That includes colors, finishes and natural lighting.”

ReDuces contRaBanD, cost anD IncReases eFFIcIency

Illegal or prohibited items – known as contraband – have always been a challenge for correctional of-ficials. Prisoners have always found creative ways to get their hands on weapons, narcotics, cigarettes and other items that they are not permitted to obtain.

There are various ways that inmates get contraband. However, many times a family member or friend will smuggle in items for the inmate. This most often occurs during face-to-face visitations where both par-ties meet in the same room at the same facility.

Video visitation will not put an end to contraband in correctional facilities, but it can significantly reduce the amount that is brought in. Since the inmate and family member are at two separate locations, there is no possible way that contraband can be smuggled into the correctional facility.

“It provides a high-quality, safe, convenient alternative to live onsite visits,” Hansen said. “With onsite video visitation, inmates can visit with their loved ones without ever leaving their pod, providing security for staff, and closing off a key avenue for contraband. By physically separating inmates from visitors, a key mechanism for importing contraband, such as drugs, weapons and SIM cards, is shut down.”

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Secondly, there is a time savings benefit in this scenario. Since the family member or friend is located off-site, correctional officers and guards do not have to spend countless hours searching visitors for prohibited items that they are attempting to bring in.

It also makes facilities safer and efficient.

According to Telmate, customers have reported a noticeable drop in both inmate-to-inmate and inmate-to -staff violence immediately after video visitation systems were installed. Additionally, facilities have been able to sustain a 15 percent average drop of violent instances per year since installation.

“Video visits improve workflow and operational efficiencies by ensuring that facility staff sees everything that the inmates sees,” Hansen said. “This means that an inmate can’t use their body to shield hand sig-nals or written messages from wall mounted cameras. Correctional facilities also save time and resources by decreasing inmate activity in and out of pods.”

In terms of dollars and cents, video visitation can save money and even generate revenue for facilities.

“By reducing the need to transport inmates and allowing visitors to register and schedule visits them-selves, correctional facilities can operate a much more efficient visitation environment,” Eickhoff said. “Staff can be allocated to more critical tasks, and facilities can even generate revenue by allowing visi-tors to pay for additional visitation options like internet visits or extra visits after an inmate’s weekly limit is met.”

To combat all of these challenges, facilities can provide a streamlined visitation experience by using vid-eo technology. Additionally, facilities can see a dramatic improvement in their workflow by introducing a video visitation system with an integrated scheduling and management system, according to Eickhoff.

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“Instead of a first-come, first-served environment where staff is faced with crowded lobbies and manually checking restrictions, quota, inmate location and other factors, all of those checks are made automatical-ly,” he said. “Whether it’s a face-to-face visit, video visit, or internet visit, visitors can simply register online and choose from available dates and times without making a trip to the facility and tying up personnel. Facilities get a predictable schedule of who is visiting at what time, and it’s much more convenient for visi-tors.”

“Whether it’s a face-to-face visit, video visit, or internet visit, visitors can simply register online and choose from available dates and times without making a trip to the facility and tying up personnel. Facilities get a predictable schedule of who is visiting at what time, and it’s much more convenient for visitors.”

cRIme PReVentIon

An additional benefit of video visitation can help law enforcement prevent and fight crime. Officials now have the benefit of monitoring conversations while inmates communicate with their virtual visitors. In par-ticular, Eickhoff says these new tools give staff the ability to flag inappropriate behavior, identify criminal networks, scan recordings and create court files. Continual voice and image biometrics also ensure iden-tity, avoiding pin theft and identity fraud.

Hansen adds that correctional facilities typically monitor all types of visits – including contact visits – to ensure no one is violating policies. But with video visitation, if an incident occurs, no physical intervention is necessary.

“Staff can pause or end a visit with the touch of a button and make note of the violation in the system,” Eickhoff said. “Alerts can also be set up to notify investigators of visits or recordings of interest, and the video can then be used to fight crime in the community.”

BetteR gRaDes

From 2010 to March 2013, the Vera Institute of Justice and the Ohio Department of Youth Services con-ducted research that found family visitation had an impact on the academic performance of incarcerated youth.

In particular, the research found that the GPA for juveniles who never received visits was 80.4, com-pared to 85 for those who received frequent visits. Additionally, youth offenders who received no visits averaged 14 behavioral incidents per month, compared to just four for those who were visited frequently.

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Findings from the study also indicated that youth who were incarcerated far from the home received fewer contact visits due to travel distances. And while video visitation was never mentioned in the study, this method of visitation allows family members to visit with inmates more often no matter how far away they are from the facility.

shoulD not RePlace contact VIsIts

So, with all these advancements in technology and the advantages that go with them – reduced recidi-vism, streamlined visitation procedures, safer facilities, cost cutting and increased visits from loved ones – the question must be asked: Should video visitation completely replace contact visits?

Not necessarily.

If visiting an inmate in person is not a possibility, then video visitation offers the opportunity for two parties to communicate when no other option is available. But if contact visits are possible, then video visitation is a valuable way to increase visits with the incarcerated and stands as a complement to seeing inmates in the flesh. Margaret diZerega is the director of the Family Justice Program at the Vera Institute of Justice. That organization is currently conducting exhaustive research on the effects of video visitation on the incarcerated.

In an opinion piece in The New York Times, she says that video visitation shows promise, but not as a complete substitute to contact visits.

“… no video technology can replace the feel of a hug or the opportunity to play together in person, even if that playtime is happening inside prison walls. Fewer than half of incarcerated parents receive visits from their children,” she wrote. “Given the benefits of these visits to parent and child, to facility safety, and ultimately to public safety, more effort needs to be made to increase both actual visiting and alterna-tives like video visits.”

And she’s not alone in her thinking. Many corrections officials across the country also believe that contact visits are still an essential part of keeping inmates connected to the outside world.

“Video visits don’t replace in-person visits but they do provide additional opportunities for friends and family members – particularly those who are unable to travel long distances – to connect with their loved ones, which is important for prison and public safety,” said Dan Pacholke, Assistant Secretary for the Pris-ons Division, in a press release from the Washington State Department of Corrections.

Eickhoff adds that regardless of the kind of visitation a facility offers, efficiencies in processes are essen-tial, and having a centralized visitation system can provide this.

“Whether it’s a face-to-face, on-site video, or internet visit, it is vital to provide visitors and staff with the necessary tools to efficiently schedule and manage those visits,” said Eickhoff. “Not all visitation systems are equipped for that, and having separate processes for different types of visitation is confusing and inef-ficient for both the visitation staff and the public.”

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PIckIng youR PRoDuct/conclusIon

So, what is the first step if your facility is considering video visitation as a communication, scheduling and moni-toring system? Currently, there are many video visitation products on the market. And with the increased use of this solution there surely will be more in the future.

Renovo’s Eickhoff says the main take-away to remember is that public perception, safety and security, and costs and efficiency can all be improved through the use of visitation technologies.

But, he says, it’s important to note that no two correctional facilities handle visitation exactly the same. Many vid-eo visitation systems appear to offer similar feature sets, but the functionality of those features will be determined by whether they can meet a facility’s specific needs as they change over time without costly, custom development.

“Be sure to seek a proven solution and a vendor with the experience and the video visitation customer base nec-essary to provide continuous support and upgrades as technologies progress,” Eickhoff said.

Hansen concludes, “Modernizing inmate communications benefits everyone. Not only does video visitation help connect inmates with family and friends, it also helps facilities increase safety and control. All these contribute to our overall goal of reducing the likelihood of recidivism.”

Bureau of Justice: Total U.S. Correctional Population Declined in 2012 for Fourth Year

new york times: U.S. Prison Populations Decline, Reflecting New Approach to Crime

Bureau of Justice: Recidivism of Prisoners Released In 30 States in 2005: Patterns from 2005 to 2010

minnesota Department of corrections: The Effects of Prison Visitation on Offender Recidivism

minnesota Department of corrections: The Effects of Prison Visitation on Offender Recidivism Presentation

new york times: A Service to Families and Children

Vera Institute: The Impact of Family Visitation on Incarcerated Youth’s Behavior and School Performance new york times: More Video Visits, and More In-Person Time

Washington state Department of corrections: Video Visitation Expands Statewide

Renovo software

telmate

RQaW engineers and architects

ResouRces

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