The Okaloosa County Corrections Department's new video visitation system provides a safer, more efficient way to visit inmates, a county spokesperson said.
Instead of a glass partition and a phone, inmates and visitors see each other on monitors.
“There are numerous advantages to this new system, and most counties are already using the system,” Okaloosa County Commissioner Kelly Windes said.
Inmates view video screens from where they are housed, with no movement of inmates or personnel necessary to perform that task. This can contribute to reduced contraband being brought into the jail, county officials said. In addition, video visitation from home provides a revenue stream to recoup the cost of jailing inmates, and expanded visitation offsite allows for previously unavailable weekend and holiday visits, county officials said.
Securus Technologies Video Visitation installed the equipment at no cost to the county.
Residents can visit the corrections facility for a free video meeting or have video visits from home by signing up for an account at www.visitfromhome.net.
All visitors must provide photo identification and a background check is completed before any approved visit.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Commissioner: Video visitation with inmates has 'numerous advantages'