Virtual visitation set up at Ventura County Jail

VENTURA, Calif. - The Ventura County Sheriff's Department temporarily shutdown visitations at the two county jails due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Now there is a virtual visitation that made its debut just in time.

A box bolted to the wall is the new way that inmates at Ventura County jails are having visitations during the pandemic.

“The folks inside custody see a schedule each day showing their visits,” Michale Beckett, Captain with the Ventura County Sheriff's Department. ”There is a touch screen that they are able to interact with.”

Securus Video Connect is a fully web-based visual communication system that allows friends, family members, attorneys, and public officials to schedule and participate in video sessions with an incarcerated individual from anywhere with internet access. This new video visitation program has actually been in the works for nearly two years prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We had a schedule date of the 25th of March and it just so happened to coincide within days of ending our other social visiting and to at least offer something different and an alternative,” said Beckett.

Family and friends have to request the video visitation of the inmate and pay $6 for a 30-minute visit. But Securus company says they are providing two free 10-minute phone calls to incarcerated individuals at Ventura County in an effort to help keep loved ones connected during this crisis.

“It has been well received by the entire inmate population,” said Beckett.

When visitation restriction are lifted, the jail will still allow in-person visitation along with phone calls.

“At the departments expense we are now offering two free phone calls for every inmate that is in custody per week,” said Beckett.