inmate video visit illinois

Video Visitation

Video visitation is a great way to connect with your loved one over the internet, without having to worry about unpredictable crowds and overly busy visitation hours.

Visits can be scheduled and paid for in advance, allowing you to visit with inmates at times that are convenient for you.

We offer two types of Video Visitation services:

At-Home Video Visits

These video visits can be conducted at home on your PC computer, laptop or mobile device (Android).

Save travel expenses, time, long lines and parking fees with at-home video visits.

Ease stress on children who can now communicate without visiting the facility in person.

On-site Video Visits

On-site video visits are conducted at visitation stations at the facility.

With these visits, you are still required to travel to the facility.

Through our easy-to-use website, you can schedule, register, and pay for (if applicable) the visit in advance. Then, conduct the visit in real-time over the internet.

Please note: These services can vary by facility and are not available at all locations.

How It Works

• Check to see if your inmate’s facility offers video visitation.
• If video visitation is offered at the facility, go to www.gtlvisitme.com . Register yourself and all visitors participating in the visitations.
• Select the facility where your loved one is located.
• Search for your inmate, and add them.
• Click “Schedule” to begin the scheduling process.
• You will see the cost associated with your visit at the time of scheduling. Enter your credit card or debit card information to complete the scheduling process. You will receive a confirmation email and receipt for your visit.
• For at-home video visits : sign in to the visitation scheduling site 15 minutes prior to your scheduled visit. Test your connection, and follow the steps to start your visit.
• For on-site video visits: arrive at the facility at least 15 minutes prior to check-in. A valid photo ID is required. Each facility has its own rules for on-site visits. Please review rules prior to arrival.

For additional helpful information and a list of useful questions about visitation, scheduling, and facility policies, view our v isitation FAQs .

What It Costs

Visitation costs vary by correctional facility and visitation duration.

Different types of visits may have different costs or no cost at all.

All costs associated with visits are clearly displayed at the time of scheduling. Visitors are aware of all the options and can choose based on their visitation preferences.

Ways to Pay

When scheduling fee-based video visitations through our visitation website , you will be asked to provide your payment information to complete the scheduling process.

We accept debit cards, charge cards, and Visa/Mastercard gift cards.

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• Inmate Visitation

The Cook County Department of Corrections encourages inmates to maintain ties with their families and friends through regular visits. Family visiting is scheduled to allow access on a regular basis limited only by staff demands and the visiting facilities in the Department.

Please click below to be taken to the Sheriff's Office Visitation page.

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It can be confusing to understand the Illinois Corrections' System. If you are trying to find, visit, or talk with someone who is in prison, there are rules and regulations that you should know. This article talks about those rules and has links so you can learn more.

Finding someone who is incarcerated

Every individual under custody first goes to a Reception and Classification (R&C) Center. This is called processing.

Stateville, Graham, and Menard are the R&C centers in Illinois for male prisoners. Individuals from counties in northern Illinois are taken to the Northern Reception Center. This is part of Stateville Correctional Center. Logan is the R&C Center for all female prisoners.

While in R&C, each person gets their Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) number. Within a day or two of the time they arrive, the number will be posted on the IDOC website. You will need this number whenever you visit them or send them mail.

IDOC assigns individuals to the most suitable facility based on various factors. Transfers occur when beds become available, which can take from one week to a year.

Individuals are not informed of their new location in advance, so they can’t tell their family this information. No visitation is allowed for the first 30 days a prisoner is in an R&C. After that, they may be allowed limited visits, mail, and phone calls.

You can find the location of an incarcerated person after they are transferred out of the R&C. You will need their last name, birthday, or IDOC number. Use the IDOC Inmate Search  to search for their location. 

You can register with Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINELink). VINE notifies victims when a prisoner moves or is about to go on parole. It is available to everyone. There is also a link on each prisoner’s page on the IDOC website to sign up for VINE updates.

Sending mail

Individuals can receive mail at any time during their stay in prison. You may write to them as you would anyone else. When addressing the envelope, include the person's name and their IDOC number below the name, exactly as they are on the IDOC website. Do not use nicknames or your letter will be returned. The IDOC website lists the mailing addresses for mail. Click on the facility where the incarcerated person is located.

The mail that you send to someone in custody will be opened and searched for contraband (items not allowed in prison). You may be prosecuted if contraband is found. 

Do not decorate your envelopes or letters with stickers, glitter, or tape. Your letter will be sent back to you.

Portions of mail may be kept from the incarcerated person if it could be a threat to security or safety. If this happens, both you and the person will be notified in writing of that decision. The reasons mail may be thrown out are listed on the  IDOC website . 

Individuals in custody can receive an unlimited amount of the following items through mail:

• Periodicals,
• Newspapers, and
• Catalogs. 

Sending money

Money can be sent to an individual in custody and placed in their account for use in the commissary or for sending mail.

Money orders

You may send a money order to someone who is in custody. Money orders are limited to $999.99. Money orders must be sent with the individual’s name and their IDOC number. They must also include the sender’s name and address. You can get deposit slips from each facility or through  JPAY . Money orders should be made payable to JPAY and sent with a deposit slip to: PO Box 260250, Hollywood, FL 33026.

Electronic payments

All electronic payments must include the person’s IDOC number and last name.

You can send electronic payments of up to $5,000 through the following services:

• Send2Corrections

These are applied within 24-48 business hours.

You can send an electronic payment of up to $3,000 through  Money Gram using the Blue Money Gram Express Payment Form (code 7364). These are applied within 72-96 hours

Talking to an incarcerated person on the phone

When someone first reaches a prison, they submit a list of names of requested visitors and phone contacts. These lists can be revised once a month. You can talk to them as long as you are on an approved list. Keep in mind that these calls are recorded and not confidential unless scheduled with an attorney in advance.

Individuals in custody are only allowed to make collect calls, meaning you cannot call them directly. The telephone service the prisons use is  Securus . You have to establish an account with them to receive these calls. You can call the Secarus number (800) 844-6591 or set up an account online.

Messaging an incarcerated person electronically

In Illinois and other states, it is possible to use a service called GTL messaging to message someone in custody. Electronic messages cost $0.15 per credit. You can purchase 5 credits for $0.75. You can purchase 10 credits for $1.50 and 20 credits for $3. Each credit covers one message. You can  sign up for a GTL account .

You do not have to be on an approved list. The messages will be printed and delivered to the person like regular mail. They may be able to send a message back, depending on the specific facility.

Like prison mail and phone calls, these messages are not confidential and are read or screened by each facility. The prison can limit this access for safety.

Visiting an incarcerated person by video

Prisons must allow access to video calling if it is available at the prison. People can get access to tablets for video calling as a reward for good behavior. You can visit using Apple, Android, and Windows devices. The  IDOC website includes information on how to visit based on the device you have. Video visits cost $3.20 for 20 minutes. GTL will provide one free video visit per week.

All visitors must register with  GTL . Adults must add themselves and then any minor children. All callers must be on the individual's approved visitation list. You should write a letter to the incarcerated individual to make sure you are on the approved visitation list. All video visits may be monitored or recorded and ended for violation of any rules.

Visiting hours are Mon-Fri, 8AM-2PM. You must schedule a visit at least 7 days in advance. You can schedule up to 30 days in advance.

Individuals in custody can have one video visit per day and two video visits per week. There can be up to three approved people per video visit, but only one can be on screen at a time. Children who need assistance may be on screen with another approved visitor.

Behaviors that are not allowed on video visits include:

• Nudity and behaviors of a sexual nature,
• Display of any illegal materials such as drugs or guns,
• Unlawful activity, and
• Recording or filming any visit.

A full list of rules can be found on the  IDOC website. Violations of any of the rules may result in an immediate termination and a loss of visiting privileges. 

Visiting in person

Prisons may not limit in-person visits just because they make video calling available.

IDOC has a  standard visitation policy . Review the visitation policy ahead of your visit. A list of facilities can be found on  IDOC’s website .

Each incarcerated person can have 7 visits per month. These visits are limited to 4 hours per visit. You cannot visit more than once per day. You may request an extended visit in advance to the Chief Administrative Officer. You must be on the approved visiting list. Every incarcerated person can submit a list of 30 people to IDOC who are allowed to visit. The IDOC must keep this list in paper and electronic form on their website. Visitors, vehicles, and items are subject to search.

To schedule your visit:

• Use the  search tool to find the individual you would like to visit,
• Confirm that you are on the approved visitation list by writing the incarcerated individual a letter, and
• Schedule your visit online.

Be sure to arrive at the facility 10 minutes before your scheduled visit. When you arrive for a visit, you must:

• Call the facility for instructions. They will tell you when it is safe to enter,
• Bring two forms of ID, one of which must be a state issued ID,
• Provide information about your vehicle, and
• Undergo a COVID screening and wear a mask.

Some items like electronic devices and bags are not allowed in the visitation room and must be placed in a locker. You can find a full list of these items on the  IDOC website.

When you visit a prison, you cannot wear:

• Clothing that is sexually explicit, offensive, or degrading,
• Inappropriate or revealing clothing,
• Hats, gloves, scarves or headbands except for religious headgear,
• Jewelry that is very heavy or has offensive symbols, or
• Jewelry with names, initials, pictures, or words.

Religious headgear must be removed and searched. Acceptable headgear includes kufis, yarmulkes, turbans, habits, and fezzes. If you have different religious headgear, send a written request to the prison at least ten days before your visit. If approved, you can wear it, but it will still be searched.

To buy food and drinks from the vending machine, you must purchase a vending card, which usually costs $1.00. You can add money to that card for use during your visit. 

Age requirement for visitors

There are certain restrictions for minors who wish to visit someone in custody. A person under 18 years old must be accompanied by an approved visitor who is 18 or older.

A person 12 years or younger must be:

• Brought by an approved visitor who is a parent or guardian, or
• Given written consent by a parent or guardian that says the child will be brought by an approved visitor who is 18 or older. 

Bringing items during a visit

You are not allowed to give or take anything from someone in custody during your stay without permission. If they are found with unapproved items during or after your visit, you may lose visiting privileges.

There are specific items that are approved for visitors to bring to someone in custody. You may only bring these approved items:

• Similar items.

You cannot bring more than five publications. They cannot be packaged, wrapped, or otherwise contained in any way. Publications will be rejected if they violate  IDOC policies . You can also order, subscribe, or solicit publications to be sent directly to them. But they must meet the criteria of approved publications.

Visitation rules

Rules can be different from prison to prison. Inappropriate behavior or contraband may result in a temporary or permanent restriction. If someone in custody is found with contraband during or after a visit, the prison will assume you gave it to them. The prison can deny, suspend, or restrict visitors.

More information on visiting and communicating

The following sites have more information on visiting prisons and communicating with individuals in custody:

• Illinois Department of Corrections
• Illinois Prison Talk is a message board for visitors to Illinois' Prisons
• Illinois Code lists the laws about visitation and communication 

If you have a complaint or suggestion for a Department of Corrections facility, you can contact the agency . 

About our legal information

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How to Schedule a Jail Visit in Illinois

It is important to know your options when contacting your loved ones. The rules vary depending on the prison or jail, but this article will discuss some different options at county jails in and around Chicago, and throughout the Illinois Department of Corrections, including Cook County, Kane County, McHenry County, DuPage County, Lake County and Will County. It is important that detained inmates maintain contact with their loved ones and support systems on the outside as it often helps them re-integrate back into society upon their release.

Setting up these meetings can sometimes be complicated and may require a lot of steps, so having all the proper information is crucial. Every call or in-person visit you set up with a loved one may seem like a small thing to you, but it could make that person’s whole week or month.

Here are some of the procedures currently in place:

Cook County Jail

Cook county in-person visits.

If you are looking to visit one of the 7,500 inmates currently housed in the Cook County Department of Corrections at 26 th and California, your first option is to fill out a form for in-person visitation. Note: as of the time of this article, you must have received the COVID-19 vaccination and you will be expected to show proof of this upon your arrival at any of the 11 divisions.

You may apply for an in-person visitation (at least 48 hours in advance) by going to this link:

https://dvv.ccsheriff.org

You must wear a mask, but you may be required to leave the facility by the Cook County Sheriff for any perceived security violation. It is discouraged for you to wear revealing clothing of any kind and this can also be a basis for denial of entry at the discretion of the Sheriff’s office. You will be subject to pat-downs, COVID temperature screens, and metal detectors. You will talk to your loved one through a thick glass screen with a two-way microphone and you will not be allowed to touch them.

Cook County Virtual Visits

In order to do a virtual visitation at Cook County Jail with a loved one, you must have an approved app such as a Microsoft Teams account with an active e-mail address. You can get a Microsoft Teams account here for free:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/log-in

Once you get a Microsoft teams account, your loved one can add you to a visitation list. Each of the 11 Divisions at Cook County and Cermak Hospital has different visitation schedules. Once you are added to the virtual visitation request list, you will be contacted by a member of the Cook County Sheriff’s Office to schedule an exact day and time for your virtual visitation. You must be on Microsoft Teams and ready to accept the call from the Cook County Jail, as most times they will only try to call you two or three times before they give up.

Remember, there are rules which you must follow when doing virtual visitation with your loved ones. The calls themselves will be directly monitored and recorded and there will be a member of the Sheriff’s office standing nearby who will be periodically checking for any suspicious activity or response from the inmate.

You may not, under any circumstances, drink, smoke, show nudity, or engage in any inappropriate behavior while on the virtual visitation call. You may not stand up during the call; all calls must be in a seated position by both parties. You may not show up to the call with other people in the background who are also participating. Any violation of these rules will result in an immediate termination of the virtual call and a possible ban on future ability to contact your detained loved one. These rules are uniform for all jails throughout Illinois.

Lake County Jail

Currently, all visits at the Lake County Adult Correctional Facility are conducted remotely. You will need to download a “GettingOut account” on your smartphone or computer. Once you set it up, an inmate will be able to initiate a call with you through a ViaPath Tablet at the facility.

GettingOut may be downloaded at this link:

https://www.gettingout.com

All you do to approve your visitation status is to create a working “GettingOut” account and enter your personal information, then add the inmate you would like to request contact with. After that, you can add funds to your account. The inmate may then call you during whatever allowed time they have for video visitation at the Lake County Adult Correctional Facility (which could change weekly or monthly). This is convenient as you can receive calls wherever you are, and it does not have to be at a scheduled time.

Calls are $0.25 cents per minute. If you are unable to use a smartphone or computer to receive these calls, you may schedule ahead of time to use the video visitation kiosks in the lobby of the facility itself. Inmates also receive one free call per week at this facility.

DuPage County Jail

DuPage also uses the “ GettingOut ” account system to schedule inmate visitation.

In addition, inmates are allowed to receive one thirty-minute visit per-week. Inmates who have a proven record of good behavior, called “Trusty” inmates at DuPage , may receive a single 60-minute visit or two 30 minute visits per week.

McHenry County Jail

The McHenry County Jail conducts their virtual visitation using what is called “ICS Mobile” which can be found on the iPhone app store by searching “ICSolutions.”

You can schedule video visitations with inmates who approve contact from you as long as you schedule six hours in advance. You will be expected to show the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office your ID upon entering the video visitation.

Due to the spread of the virus around the McHenry County area, the jail plans to conduct all visits via video visitation throughout the rest of 2022 and possibly beyond.

Kane County Jail

Kane County Jail is also only allowing video visitations at this time using the “ICS Mobile” app which can be downloaded on the iPhone app store.

Kane County Jail also has video visitation kiosks in the lobby of their facility which are also able to be used for video visitations 365 days out of the year.

The detainee must complete what is called an “Approved Visitor’s List” of only immediate family members. Then, an approved visitor will register in the ICS system to request a video visitation based on available time slots at the facility.

Each detainee is allowed one visiting “group” per week. This group can include either (1) one adult, (2) one adult and one child, or (3) two adults and one child. Every video visitation must be booked at least 72 hours in advance and can only be a maximum of 30 minutes long.

Will County Jail

Will County Jail currently only has video visitation available as well. Inmates are allowed two 30-minute calls per week. Visitation hours are every day from 9:15 am until 12:00 pm and then again from 1:00 pm until 4:15 pm.

If you wish to book a visit, you must call this number: 815-774-7950. You must call this number and book at least 24 hours before your desired visit time. You may not schedule a visit more than 48 hours in advance. After scheduling the visit with the Will County Sheriff’s office, you will check in at the Will County Video Visitation Center on 20 South Chicago Street in Joliet, Illinois. You will then be put in front of a computer screen and assisted as you connect with your detainee. If you do not bring a valid state ID you will be denied your video visitation.

It is important to note that you must also arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time if you wish to have a video visitation call with the Will County Jail. If you cancel your scheduled appointment time without calling ahead, it could result in your future video visitation rights being restricted.

Virtual Visitation at the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC)

Thankfully, virtual visitation happens the same way at all the below listed facilities in the Illinois Department of Corrections:

• Big Muddy River Correctional Center
• Centralia Correctional Center
• Clayton Work Camp
• Crossroads Adult Transition Center
• Danville Correctional Center
• Decatur Correctional Center
• Dixon Correctional Center
• Dixon Springs Structured Impact Program (DSSIP)
• DuQuoin Structured Impact Program (DQSIP)
• East Moline Correctional Center
• Fox Valley Adult Transition Center
• Graham Correctional Center
• Graham Reception and Classification Center
• Greene County Work Camp
• Hill Correctional Center
• Illinois River Correctional Center
• Jacksonville Correctional Center
• Joliet Inpatient Treatment Center
• Joliet Treatment Center
• Kewanee Life Skills Re-Entry Center
• Lawrence Correctional Center
• Lincoln Correctional Center
• Logan Correctional Center
• Logan Reception and Classification Center
• Menard Correctional Center
• Menard Medium Security Unit
• Menard Reception and Classification Center
• Murphysboro Life Skills Re-Entry Center
• North Lawndale ATC
• Northern Reception and Classification Center
• Peoria Adult Transition Center
• Pinckneyville Correctional Center
• Pittsfield Work Camp
• Pontiac Correctional Center
• Pontiac Medium Security Unit
• Robinson Correctional Center
• Shawnee Correctional Center
• Sheridan Correctional Center
• Southwestern Illinois Correctional Center
• Southwestern Illinois Work Camp
• Stateville Correctional Center
• Stateville Minimum Security Unit
• Taylorville Correctional Center
• Vandalia Correctional Center
• Vienna Correctional Center
• Western Illinois Correctional Center

In order to virtually visit an inmate at any of the prisons in the Illinois Department of Corrections, you will need to follow three basic steps:

Step 1: Make an Account on Global Tel*Link (“GTL”)

The first thing you must do to virtually visit a detained inmate at any prison in the Illinois Department of Corrections is make an account at this web address:

https://ildoc.gtlvisitme.com/app

You will be asked to provide personal information and also a list of any inmates you are hoping will “approve” you to visit with them. The inmate will be informed you have requested to be added to their list and they may accept or decline. Once you register yourself you may then add family members (children or household members) who you may also visit with. Your user interface will show not only your approved inmates, but also your approved household members.

Step 2: Schedule the Visit

Once you have your account set-up, scheduling a visit is easy. You can scroll to the bottom of your GTL homepage and click “Select Inmate.” You can then choose from a drop-down list of all your approved inmates. Then click “Visit Inmate.” The facility will then guide you to the available visitation times.

Most facilities require a week to a month in advance, so make sure you request the visit far in advance. Rarely does a facility allow same-day visits, but some of the smaller ones do.

Prices for the video visits vary based on the facility and the amount of time allowed per visit also varies widely. Most facilities offer three different options as of the time of this article:

• 15-minute video visits for $3.75;
• 25-minute video visits for $6.25 (most common); or
• 55-minute video visits for $13.75.

Your upcoming visits will then be displayed on your GTL homepage. The display page will tell you exactly when the visits are and how much time you have left until you are allowed to check-in to the visit. It will also display a unique confirmation code that you may use to contact the facility directly with any questions about your specific visit.

Step 3: Read the Illinois Department of Corrections Rules and Guidelines for Virtual Visitation Before Your Visit

The final step is to read the Illinois Department of Correction visitation rules found at this link prior to your first visitation:

https://idoc.illinois.gov/facilities/visitationrules.html

The rules are simple and most of them revolve around a few main prohibited behaviors which can get your visitation privileges restricted or banned:

• No nudity or sexual behavior
• No display of weapons or drugs
• No gang behavior (throwing gang signs) or showing the inmate depictions of any gang activity or disturbing content
• No filming the prison visit
• No unauthorized visitors appearing with you on the scheduled video call

Depending on the seriousness of the offense, you may be banned temporarily from visiting with a particular inmate or banned for life from using the GTL video-visitation system to meet with any inmates. The call will be terminated immediately upon the occurrence of any of the banned behaviors.

Inmates can receive a maximum of one video call per day and usually only two calls per week.

In-Person Visitation at the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC)

Every facility in the Illinois Department of Corrections has slightly different in-person visitation guidelines. These visitation schedules can change based off facility lockdown schedules, COVID restrictions, current prison capacity, and any other infrastructure changes within the facility itself.

The procedure for going to an in-person visitation is essentially the same throughout the Illinois Department of Corrections, and for each facility you must:

Confirm You Are on the Detained Inmates Approved Visitor List

This is important to confirm before you take the time to travel out to a facility. If you are not approved on the inmate visitor list at the specific facility you would like to visit, you will be denied entry.

Completion of a “Prospective Visitor’s Interview” Form

On your first visit to any facility, you will be expected to complete a Prospective Visitor’s Interview form which requests many different categories of personal information. You will also be expected to explain how you know the detained individual. You may be subjected to additional interview questions, strip searches, dress code checks, and contraband searches of any kind. You will need two forms of state ID .You will be allowed a locker in almost all facilities to store personal items during the length of stay of your visitation.

Arrive at the Facility at the Designated Visitation Hours

It is important that you arrive on time. Call the facility ahead of time to ensure that it is not currently on lockdown. Be patient when dealing with staff members as you will not receive any preferential treatment by disrespecting them. If you are disrespectful to staff members, you may be made to wait for a very long time before you see your loved one.

You will then be brought to a designated visitation room (after COVID, almost all facilities will have this room separated by a partition with everyone required to wear masks). You may then see your loved one. Anyone under 17 is required to be accompanied by an adult over 18. If you have travelled a long distance (over 100 miles) to see someone, you may ask the facility for a special arrangement (such as a longer visitation time). All special arrangements should be confirmed with the facility beforehand.

Don’t Break Any Facility Rules

The last thing you need to remember is not to break any facility rules. This includes bringing in any contraband, attempting to give anything to an inmate, wearing revealing clothing or attempting to violate any of the other listed rules at each individual facility.

Speak to the Legal Team at Mitchell S. Sexner & Associates LLC

If you have a loved one who is incarcerated in Illinois and needs representation, call Mitchell S. Sexner & Associates LLC right away. We have more than 30 years of  criminal defense experience  and have successfully represented more than 20,000 clients. Our attorneys are honest, hard-working, and will do everything in their power to get your loved one out of jail as quickly as possible. No matter what the situation, we will fight vigorously on your behalf. For more information on our services, visit our  contact page  or call (312) 644-0444 for a free confidential consultation.

Video Visitation

Provide the Opportunity for On-Premise or Remote Video Visitation

The GTL VisitMe video visitation solution allows federal, state, county, municipal, and private facilities to supplement traditional in-person visitation service offerings with secure on-premise or remote alternatives. This highly scalable solution can help facilities of any size improve security while allowing staff time to be reallocated to more critical tasks. In addition, friends, family, and professional visitors are given a convenient, accessible way to stay connected with inmates.

With the on-premise solution available through VisitMe, visitation services can be conducted at predetermined locations within the immediate facility or at an established annex location. Inmate visitation stations can be installed at specific locations throughout each housing unit so that inmates do not need to be moved. A visitation station can also be set up on a cart as a mobile solution for restricted classification offenders.

Utilizing the At-Home video visitation solution through VisitMe allows visitors to conduct their regular visitation sessions through most PCs, laptops, and tablets (Android or Apple iOS devices) without stepping onto facility property. As these visitation sessions are conducted in an outside environment, correctional staff members are provided with several monitoring tools to prohibit any illicit activity.

Minimize Inmate Movements

With the implementation of the GTL VisitMe solution, visitation units are installed in strategic locations throughout each housing unit, reducing the need to coordinate inmate movements throughout the facility. With the reduction of inmate movements, the threat of a safety and security breach will be drastically reduced so that staff can be reassigned to other duties.

Securely Monitor and Record Visits

With the security features built into the GTL VisitMe system, correctional officers monitoring the visitation sessions have the capability to record, interrupt, or terminate any visitation for lewd or inappropriate conduct as determined by the facility. For visitation sessions that are classified as professional visits, the system will automatically disable the recording feature, keeping the facility within legal compliance.

Eliminate Contraband Introduction Opportunities

As individuals pass through the lobby of the correctional facility on a daily basis, the threat of contraband being introduced remains a reality. Even without the availability of contact visits, contraband can be placed in an area often visited by inmates or employees. With the introduction of on-premise or at-home visitation, visitors will conduct each session from a secure area, removed from any point that may allow the introduction of contraband.

Related Products

Video Scheduling

VisitMe Scheduler can eliminate long queues in the visitation area by avoiding the chaos of having a high volume of concurrent visitors at the facility. In so doing, the system also minimizes staffing requirements.

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schedule a visit

Three Types of Video Visits

At Facility

These visits are when you go to your facility and sit at a video visit station in the lobby. Your loved one or friend will be on a video visit station in their pod.

From Computer

At select facilities families and friends can have video visits from their own personal computers in the comfort of their own homes. You will need the following equipment to do a video visit from home:

• A computer.
• A webcam and a microphone, or a computer with these components built in (most laptops have these built in).
• An internet browser. Internet browsers Safari 4 and higher, or Firefox 7 and higher, are strongly recommended. Using other browsers may not load the page appropriately in order to begin your visit. We are not responsible for technical problems or issues that may arise from using an unsupported browser.
• For the best visit experience you should use headphones, but they are not required.
• High speed internet (DSL or Cable) connection (dial up and satellite are not supported).

From Android Device

Video visits go mobile with our Visit Now Android app. At select facilities families and friends can have video visits from their own Android devices.

How to Schedule a Visit

Free video visit policy.

Free visits are a benefit for the inmate and are credited to the  inmate’s account. Therefore the inmate is the only one who  can book a free visit . This allows the inmate at your facility full control of whom they want to use their free visit with. There are also advanced scheduling rules that control the timeframe that a free visit can be booked. These rules vary by facility. If an inmate books a visit outside this timeframe, they will not be allowed to use a free visit.

• Book the visit with their Friends & Family.
• Suggest a visit with their Friends & Family. The Friends & Family must have no prepaid funds on their account at the time they confirm the suggested time. The inmate’s free visit will then be deducted.
• Confirm a suggested visit from their friends and family. The Friends & Family must have no prepaid funds on their account at the time the inmate confirms the visit. The inmate’s free visit will then be deducted from their free visit allowance.

The only way Friends & Family can use a free visit is by suggesting a visit with the inmate. If the inmate has a free visit available and there are no prepaid funds on the Friends & Family account at the time the inmate confirms, the free visit will be deducted from inmate’s account.

What Services Are Available At My Facility?

Select your facility below, available services:.

• Phone & Voicemail
• Video Visit at Facility
• Video Visit from Home

• Photo Sharing
• Tablets Your inmate has access to tablets. Make a deposit to their account so they have more ways to be productive, and you have more ways to stay connected.
• Verification Required

What is Telmate Verified?

If you are asked to be Telmate Verified it means your facility requires verification of your identity prior to acceptance of inmates' calls. The purpose of verification is to ensure inmates are not connecting with inappropriate people on the outside. The verification process is simple and can be completed before or after creating an account.

To be verified, you can make a deposit , schedule a visit or download and complete the Telmate Verified form .

Did you know…

According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, inmates who

maintain strong relationships

with friends and family, greatly reduce their risk of recidivism.

Terms of Use governing use of GettingOut services state that all services are intended to be used by persons over the age of 18.

To continue, please enter your date of birth to confirm you are over the age of 18.

• City & County Jails
• State Prisons
• Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)
• US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
• FIND AN INMATE

Illinois Department of Correction Family & Friends Information

Illinois department of correction offers video visitation for inmates using the services of gtl, aka viapath techologies, in order to schedule and then visit an inmate using gtl you need to first register with gtl ..

Next Steps:

• Register yourself and all visitors.
• Select Illinois Department of Correction
• Select your inmate.
• Schedule your preferred time for the visit.

For at-home video visits: S ign in to the visitation scheduling site 15 minutes prior to your scheduled visit. Test your connection, and follow the steps to start your visit. For on-site video visits:  Arrive at the facility at least 15 minutes prior to check-in. A valid photo ID is required. 

All your questions can be answered after you register , at the Frequently Asked Questions page, or call  855-208-7349  during the following hours: 6AM – 4PM MST Monday – Friday, or  7AM – 4PM MST Saturday – Sunday

Costs for Visits are subject to change but generally run less than $10.00 for a 30 minute visit. Payment can be made with Visa, Mastercard debit, credit or gift cards.

Inmate Search

Prison contact.