Virginia

In Virginia, cancellations can be statewide (like weather-related closures) or limited to a specific pod, unit, or building. VADOC has announced statewide cancellations of in-person visitation where video visitation continued, and it has also posted facility-level cancellations where both in-person and video were canceled for particular housing areas. Check the facility’s current announcements before you travel, and have a video option ready if your facility offers it.

Use the exact format required by the vendor or agency, and double-check the inmate’s ID number before you hit submit. For federal (BOP) facilities, the BOP states that MoneyGram ExpressPayment uses the inmate’s eight-digit register number followed immediately by the inmate’s last name as the account number (example: 12345678DOE), and the receive code is always 7932. For state or local facilities that use a different deposit system, follow the facility’s deposit instructions (for example, one Virginia jail directs families to use Access Corrections).

Yes, monitoring is common, especially in federal custody. The Bureau of Prisons states that a notice is posted next to each inmate telephone advising that calls are monitored. BOP records for the TRUFONE system also describe call recordings as stored temporarily and deleted after 180 days (or when no longer required for legal or administrative purposes).

In federal facilities, the BOP says a warden may reject an incoming publication only for security, good order, discipline, or if it might facilitate criminal activity. If a publication is rejected, BOP policy says the warden will retain it for 20 days from the date the inmate is notified so the inmate can file an administrative appeal. Also, BOP policy states hardcover publications and newspapers must come from the publisher, a book club, or a bookstore.

Use the vendor support line listed for the system your facility uses. Smart Communications lists a 24/7 Customer Care line at 888-253-5178. For deposits at one Virginia jail, a fund-related transaction phone number is listed as 1-866-345-1884, and some GettingOut materials also list deposit support at 1-866-516-0115.

Hampton Victim Services instructs victims and witnesses to call the After Hours Docket Line the day before court to confirm if they will be needed. The number listed is 757-727-6399, and the office is located on the first floor of the General District Courthouse at 236 N. King Street in Hampton.

Yes, depending on the provider’s terms. ConnectNetwork states that an AdvancePay account can become inactive and be subject to forfeiture after 180 consecutive days of inactivity or non-use (subject to governing law or contract). If you are trying to prevent a balance problem or fix a deposit issue at a facility that publishes a fund-transaction phone line, one Virginia jail lists 1-866-345-1884.

Services vary, but Virginia jail pages commonly describe both contact support and programming. One example (Henrico County Regional Jail West) lists services that include virtual visitation and mail delivery, along with religious services, mental health and substance abuse services, education, laundry, recreation, and property control. That same facility describes itself as a maximum-security jail that houses both pre-trial and post-trial inmates.