In October 2018, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections implemented a video visitation program where those people who were already on an inmate's visitors list could arrange to go to their closest state prison to use video visitation equipment to connect with their incarcerated loved one at another state prison across the state. This program supplemented contact visits.
One of three video visitation units located at SCI Camp Hill's Guest House.
Each unit is divided by Styrofoam panels that provide privacy and social distancing.
Prior to using the video visit unit, the inmate sanitizes the unit and area.
This program was extremely helpful for individuals who lived, for example, in Philadelphia but had a loved one housed at SCI Albion in Erie County, which is the complete opposite end of the state. It saved the visitor travel inconveniences while continuing to allow them to maintain the family bond that is so important to an individual's successful return to society after incarceration.
Then COVID-19 happened, and DOC officials suspended all contact visits indefinitely. Officials knew that they had to offer inmates some way to remain connected with their loved ones. The DOC increased phone calls and emails and even provided inmates with additional postage-paid envelopes. But one of the best things the DOC did was to expand the video visitation program.
Since implementing the program on March 19, nearly 26,000 video visits have been scheduled.
How does the system work?
The DOC posted to its website directions for scheduling video visits.
First, the visitor needs to work with the inmate to make sure they are on the inmate's visiting list. If they are not on the list – which is controlled by the inmate – they won't even be considered for a video visit even if they follow all of the rules. DOC employees are prohibited by policy from sharing an inmate's visitor list information. The inmate needs to inform his/her visitor once he/she knows that the individual has been added to his/her visiting list.
The visitor and the inmate also need to communicate with each other ahead of time to determine the best date and time to visit.
Once the details are worked out between the visitor and the inmate, the visitor needs to download Zoom to their computer or mobile device, whatever works best for them.
Then the visitor must send this information to the appropriate state prison's zoom scheduling email address:
- Visitor Name(s) (name of every person – up to three per video visit)
- Address(es) (full mailing address for every person – up to three per video visit)
- Date(s)of Birth
- Phone Number(s)
- Schedulers E-mail address
- Inmate Name
- Inmate DOC Number
- Requested Visit Date
- Requested time slot (provide a 4-hour time slot within the facilities visiting hours)
If the visitor sends this information exactly as listed here, there is a pretty good chance the process will be successful and the visits will happen as requested.
Some things every requestor should know:
A very limited number of employees are tasked with scheduling visits at each prison, and they receive several hundred emails a day requesting video visits.
If an email request does not have the required information in it, the email is rejected and the visit is not scheduled. Staff can only schedule so many visits in advance.
If a visitor sends a request today for a visit tomorrow, that's not going to happen and their request will be rejected. Schedulers say that visitors need to work within the DOC's guidelines, because they only have so many time slots to fill, and they have more inmates than time slots.
Each state prison is different with respect to the number of video visit units they have, and there also are units in restricted housing units.
Schedulers will notify individuals of their scheduled video visit – again, so long as all directions are followed exactly like requested.
Schedulers ask that visitors do not continuously email them if they haven't heard anything about a requested video visit. If a video visit is scheduled, the prison scheduler will send an email to the requestor 48 hours prior to the visit. That email will include the Zoom information needed. If a visitor doesn't receive an email, that means the visit was not scheduled.
Officials also ask that visitors not send multiple emails for every time slot available in a given week. By doing this, visitors are bogging down the system and taking time away from requestors who successfully follow the rules.
Schedulers use their email system and a spreadsheet to schedule and track visits. It's not a difficult system, but it is time consuming, so they appreciate everyone's cooperation and patience.
Each visit lasts about 45 minutes. It is very important to plan ahead for the confirmed visit. Many visitors do not download the Zoom app until the day of the visit… and sometimes only minutes before the visit. This can result in a shortened visit with the inmate.
One facility reported that they had a situation where a woman only downloaded the Zoom app on the day of the visit. She had difficulties on her end that resulted in her only getting connected with the inmate with only five minutes remaining on her scheduled visit. So, it's important to have things running smoothly on the visitor's end to ensure a positive visiting experience.
There also are times when visits will be disconnected by the prison, and those situations involve inappropriate actions such as sexual or disorderly conduct. Video visits are monitored just like contact visits are monitored.
If an action or behavior is not allowed in the visiting room, it's also not allowed during a video visit. Prison staff have reported visitors taking off their clothes and flashing body parts during visits. Obviously, those visits got disconnected, and such actions can result in visitation privileges being revoked for the visitor.
The main things stressed by schedules are: Please be patient; follow the rules exactly; don't send continuous, multiple requests; and understand that employees are working all day, every day to schedule visits.
Inmates have expressed their pleasure with the video visiting program. One inmate wrote to DOC officials saying that he was pleased to be able to see relatives who lived in another state that he hasn't seen in decades. Another inmate said that their visitor connected to Zoom through their cell phone and then was able to walk around the city to show the changes that happened since the inmate was in prison.
Recently Pennsylvania DOC's video visitation program was highlighted in SLATE.
While it's not clear at this point when contact visits will be reinstated, DOC officials believe that once COVID-19 settles down, the successful video visitation program will continue to be available to all state prison inmates.