Video Visits vs. In-Person Visits: Choosing the Best Option for Visiting Someone at Hyde CI
Staying connected with someone at Hyde Correctional Institution? You have two options: video visits through the state's system or appointment-only in-person visits. Here's how each works so you can choose what fits your situation.
Video visits at Hyde CI happen through a video visiting app. Instead of meeting across a table, your loved one appears on screen either from an electronic tablet or from a video kiosk inside the facility.
Video visits can be on-demand or scheduled for a specific time, depending on availability. You can connect from home if you have a computer, internet connection, webcam, microphone, and a recent web browser.
To schedule or start a video visit for Hyde CI, use the Getting Out Visits app. That's where you'll handle everything, whether you're booking ahead or connecting when an on-demand slot opens up.
Reminder: Video visits are limited to people who are already on the incarcerated person’s approved visitors list.
The biggest advantage of video visiting is flexibility. You might fit a visit into a work break, a child's nap window, or a quiet evening at home. No travel required. If you live far from the facility, video visits make it easier to stay in touch consistently instead of waiting until you can make the trip.
The tradeoff? Video visits depend on technology, and you're still talking through a screen. You'll need the basics on your end (device, internet, camera, microphone), and your loved one will be calling from a tablet or facility kiosk. It's not the same as sitting in the same room.
Plan ahead: In-person visits at Hyde CI are by appointment only. Under normal circumstances, an offender is allowed no more than one visiting session per week, not to exceed two hours.
- ✓ Choose video visiting if you need a from-home option and you want the ability to visit on-demand or schedule for a future time/date.
- ✓ Choose in-person visiting if being physically present matters most to you, and you can work within appointment-only visiting.
- ✓ If you’re trying to maximize contact, remember that in-person visits are normally limited to one session per week (up to two hours), so video visits can be a practical way to fill in the gaps.
Video visiting works well if you're traveling from far away, if taking time off work is difficult, or if mobility or caregiving responsibilities make trips hard. One requirement to keep in mind: you can only video visit if you're on your loved one's approved visitors list.
- Confirm you’re approved: Video visits are limited to people on the incarcerated person’s approved visitors list.
- Get the right app: Download the Getting Out Visits app.
- Start or schedule your visit: Use the app to conduct a video visit or set a video visit appointment.
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