Video Visits vs. In-Person Visits at Lewis and Clark County Jail — Costs, Time Limits, and When to Use Each

Normal in-person visitation at Lewis and Clark County Jail is available Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Visits pause during meal periods, so if you show up during those windows you may end up waiting or needing to come back later.

Even with those long visiting hours, the actual time you get is limited. Inmates are allowed only one 20-minute in-person visit per day. Plan ahead and treat that 20 minutes like a short, focused check-in.

• ✓ Bring picture identification.
• ✓ Plan for adult-only visiting. Visitors must be 18 or older.
• ✓ If a visitor is under 18, they can only visit if they are immediate family and they are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
• ✓ Make sure the inmate has you listed correctly. The visitor request form the inmate turns in must include your complete name, address, and date of birth (and the same details for every other intended visitor).

NCIC in-pod video visitation is paid by the visitor (you), and each session is capped at 15 minutes. If you're weighing the drive for a short in-person slot against a quick video session, that 15-minute limit is the key number to know.

The good news: in-pod video visits aren't limited in number per day. The tradeoff is availability. They can't take place during lockdown hours, and lockdown times can cut into the windows you were counting on.

The posted rates are straightforward. Video visits cost $0.25 per minute. Text messages cost $0.25 per message. Picture messages and video messages cost $0.35 each. With those numbers, you can quickly estimate the cost of a short check-in versus longer, more frequent conversations.

For sharing written updates, paperwork, or photos, it helps to know how mail works here. Mail sent to the facility's central processing location is scanned and delivered electronically, so the inmate can view it on kiosks or tablets in their living area. That can be a practical option when you need to get information or images in front of someone but don't necessarily need a live conversation.

1. Start with the per-minute rate - Video visits are $0.25 per minute.
2. Multiply by one session - A 15-minute video visit costs 15 × $0.25 = $3.75.
3. Compare that to your real-world “visit costs” - Put that $3.75 next to what it takes you to visit in person (time off work, childcare, gas, and drive time) and decide what makes sense for this week.

Practical Tips

• ✓ Choose an in-pod video visit when you need something quick, you cannot make weekend or holiday hours, or you want a short 15-minute check-in (video sessions are charged to the visitor).
• ✓ Use video visits when you may need more than one touchpoint in a day. In-pod video visits are not limited in number per day, as long as they are not during lockdown hours.
• ✓ Choose in-person when you can take advantage of the weekend or holiday window (8:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.) and you want face-to-face time, even though it is limited to a single 20-minute visit per day.