The Benefits Of Video Conferencing in correctional facilities

We recently wrote about the many benefits video conferencing can bring to various government agencies, and we touched on the ways video solutions might improve the justice system. Which is why we wanted to zoom in on that particular realm and explore the ways video conferencing can be integrated in prisons to improve the lives of people on the inside (both prisoners and employees) as well as the society beyond the prison gates. The issues confronted by incarcerated people and the system that handles their rehabilitation demand a war fought on many fronts, and video can only be just one small piece of a larger puzzle, but there are many ways in which video conferencing solutions can be implemented to assist with different kinds of reforms.

 

Visitation

Introducing video conferencing visitations can lighten a prison’s budgetary burden, since a video conference doesn’t have to be so closely guarded, but access to video conferencing can also radically redefine the experience of confinement for prisoners and their families. One might argue that spending even one cent on making life easier for prisoners is more than they deserve, but a prisoner given regular contact with loved ones can make for a smoother adjustment to prison life, which in turn makes for a prison population that is easier for guards and administrators to manage.

 

Rehabilitation

A recent study conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that approximately two-thirds of released prisoners are rearrested within three years of release. This requires a great deal of work on various levels--education, therapy and job training and video conferencing can help, by allowing prisoners to stay connected to family and foster a support system that will be waiting for them on the other side of the prison walls.

 

Health

Another recent Bureau of Justice Statistics study found that nearly half of all state and federal inmates reported a medical problem other than a cold or virus, while more than a third of state inmates and almost a quarter of federal inmates reported having an impairment. It is clear, then, that regular medical treatment is something to which prisons are (or should be) dedicating a good deal of time and money. Telemedicine can both increase prisoner access to doctors while making it more affordable for prisons to provide care.

 

Safety

Implementing a robust video conferencing plan is not only beneficial for the men and women in confinement. It can also make prison a safer place for people to work. Prisoners benefit greatly from in-person meetings, and every effort should be made to allow for more traditional visits, but in cases where prison staff suspects illicit exchanges occurring during visitations, a video conferencing intervention can keep contraband from passing between visitors and prisoners.

 

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