Bosque County Jail will be implementing a new video visitation system.
County Commissioners voted Monday for the company Crown Correctional Telephone Inc. to install new screens in the jails’ common area at no cost to the county.
“Throughout the whole state of Texas, visitation has been curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Bosque County Jail Administrator John Campbell said. “Of course (the inmates) are getting a little antsy as anyone cut off from their family would. So this option was made available through our phone vendor to allow inmates the ability to visit face-to-face.”
Family and friends can download a free app on their phone or computer and schedule a time for visitation. Once approved by the jail, the inmate can use a new screen and equipment to be placed in the common area to then contact their loved ones.
Normally, calls would cost 38 cents per minute, but Crown Correctional Telephone will be allowing 40 minutes of free phone time to each prisoner a week during the pandemic.
Most video calls can be recorded, but not all as inmates will also be allowed to have video conferences with their lawyers. Inmates can even read letters that they received by mail and then scanned by the jail and sent to the inmates.
“It’ll help alleviate some tension we have,” Campbell said. “It’s not overwhelming, but I can feel it building. Because some have little money, the only time they can talk to their families is through visitation.”
Inmates have been locked down without visitation for more than three months after Gov. Greg Abbot initiated the shelter-in-place orders for nursing homes and jails March 15.
“It’ll be no cost to the county because the revenue generated will pay for it,” said a spokesman for Crown Correctional Telephone Inc. Ryan Artula to commissioners Monday.
“Families can log in to our app called Jailfunds. They can access the app and talk to the inmates from anywhere. If they don’t have a device, it’s available at the public library.”
Group conferences will also be available in the future to allow meetings such as AA and religious services to continue.