At‑Home Video Visits vs. On‑Site Visits at DeKalb County Jail: Costs, Recording, and Allowances

At‑Home (remote) video visits at DeKalb County Jail cost $5.00 per 30‑minute session. You're paying for the convenience of connecting from your own device instead of traveling to the jail.

On‑site video visits work differently. Each inmate gets two 30‑minute sessions per week at the visitation center. If you can make the trip, those sessions let you stretch your contact time without paying the per‑session remote fee.

Here's something helpful for planning: At‑Home sessions don't count against the inmate's on‑site allowance. Remote visits are separate, so using them won't eat into those two weekly sessions at the visitation center.

• ✓ You must be on the inmate’s approved visitation list to use either on‑site visits or At‑Home remote visits.
• ✓ An approved visitor is allowed only one visit per week.
• ✓ Visits are by appointment only and must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance.
• ✓ You can’t schedule appointments by phone; appointments must be made in person at the jail or online.
• ✓ On‑site video visits are available daily from 8:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 9:50 p.m.

To schedule an At‑Home remote visit, go to GettingOut (www.gettingout.com/schedule-a-visit) or call 866-516-0115. That's the system the jail directs families to use.

Assume your At‑Home session isn't private. The DeKalb County Sheriff's Office records and monitors remote video visits - except for attorney and clergy calls.

Weighing your options? It usually comes down to convenience versus cost. At‑Home visits are $5 per 30 minutes but don't count against on‑site allowances. That means you can use remote visits and still save those in‑person sessions for another day.

On‑site visiting might fit your schedule better than you'd expect. Hours run daily from 8:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 9:50 p.m. If those windows work for you, it could be worth the trip instead of paying for a remote session.