Setting Up Video Visits (GTL) with an Allegheny County Jail Inmate — Accounts, Costs, and Troubleshooting

At Allegheny County Jail, video visitation is available daily from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, as long as the service is operational. Each video visit has a 30-minute time limit, so plan for a hard stop even if your conversation is going well.

There are two ways to connect. Friends and family can schedule video visits in advance, which works best when you want a predictable time slot. Incarcerated individuals can also initiate an on-demand session using the "Visit Now" option when it's available. These come through more like a live request you'll need to be ready to accept.

1. Create your GTL account - Set up an account through GTL’s website.
2. Use that account for video visitation - At Allegheny County Jail, friends and family must have a GTL account to be added to an incarcerated individual’s video contact list.
3. Sign in before your first visit - Once you have your account created, use it to access video visitation when you schedule a visit or when a visit comes in.

Scheduled visits and "Visit Now" visits work differently. When you schedule in advance, you pick a time and plan your day around it. "Visit Now" is initiated by the incarcerated individual, so it comes through without warning. Keep your device nearby and stay signed in if you want to catch those on-demand calls.

Video visits cost $0.25 per minute. Your total depends on how long you stay connected, up to the 30-minute limit.

• ✓ Add funds to the inmate’s Inmate Trust Account.
• ✓ Those funds can be used to pay for tablet services, including video visitation.

Having trouble getting video visits to work? The jail recommends downloading and installing the Firefox browser and Adobe Flash. Once installed, open Firefox and access the visitation website through it.

Video visitation with friends and family members is monitored by Allegheny County Jail personnel. Keep your conversation appropriate and expect that the visit is not private.