Connecting with Loved Ones through Prison Video Visits

 This past week, I had my first video visitation since Michigan prisons stopped in-person visits due to the coronavirus. Handlon Correctional Facility (MTU) is one of only a handful of Michigan prisons currently offering video visitation, although the other prisons are working to implement this option soon. 

Video visits are not the same as in-person visits, but they are a step up from simple phone calls. Under the current system, prisoners are sent to the visiting room fifteen-minutes before their scheduled visit. There, they are patted down and assigned a seat in front of a blank screen. A timer on the screen counts down the minutes and seconds until the prisoner's video visit starts. 

Prior to each video visit, the visitor checks in by logging on to the system. Once logged in, a corrections officer checks the visitor's identification and assures the visitor's video and audio are working well. The rules for video visits are just as stringent as the rules for in-person visits, and the monitoring corrections officer can terminate a visit at any time for a violation of those rules. 

My visitor had not used the system before, so she had to download multiple pieces of software or software updates before she could successfully login to the prison visiting system. She reported that the system was a bit complicated to use, and the video was a little choppy on her end. I've heard other prisoners say that they have also had occasions where the video was either choppy or not working at all. These problems are likely due to poor quality badwidth in Ionia, where this prison is located. 

Visitors schedule visits ahead of time through a scheduling portal (on a website). Video visits are only twenty-minutes long, and the visitor must pay $3.20 per visit. I'm not the one paying for the visit, but it was worth it to me. There's something powerful about seeing someone you love smiling at you through the screen, something comforting about a visual connection. 

The coronavirus has led to many people using Zoom (and other software) meetings to connect with loved ones. As anyone who has used this option knows, it's not the same as a face-to-face. There are no hugs involved, no comforting physical touch. But it's better than simple phone calls or nothing at all. It's a step closer to experiencing the actual presence of a loved one. 

The Michigan Department of Corrections assures us that video visits will not replace in-person visits permanently, a fear many Michigan prisoners have. This week, the department announced that video visits will soon be moving to in-unit, meaning prisoners will not even have to leave their housing unit for a video visit. It is yet unclear how exactly this will be managed, but I'm excited to see video visits as a continuing option. Loved ones who live across the country or are unable to travel will still be able to connect visually with their incarcerated loved ones. I'm hoping, for example, to connect over video with my grandmother whom I haven't seen in more than thirteen years.

Video visits should not replace in-person visits (when they resume) for those who can spend the time, effort, and money to visit in person. There's something special about the physical presence of someone you love. But I'm glad visiting over video is now an option for many Michigan prisoners.

The visit itself is the best part, but a close second is that we prisoners do not undergo a strip search after visiting our loved ones over video. Thank God for small blessings.