How to Set Up Your First Video Visit at Madera County Jail
Setting up your first video visit might seem complicated, but Madera County Jail keeps it pretty simple once you understand the platform and timing.
Madera County Jail uses HomeWAV for video visitation. Each incarcerated person gets two 30-minute visits per week, so plan ahead and pick times you can actually make.
Before you can schedule anything, you’ll need to create a HomeWAV account. You can do that on the HomeWAV website or by downloading the app, and you’ll use that same account to set up and attend your video visits.
Pay attention to the difference between the "register" window and the actual start time. The first daily session, for example, requires you to register between 8:00 and 8:15 AM - then the visit itself begins at 8:30 AM. Think of that registration window as a check-in period. Miss it, and you might miss the visit entirely.
You'll schedule through your HomeWAV account. On-site visits can be booked 24 hours in advance, pending visitor approval - so don't wait until the last minute if you want a specific day.
Note: You must be on the incarcerated person’s approved visiting list before you’ll be allowed to visit, so confirm that first before you spend time trying to schedule.
For remote visits, assume the conversation isn't private. Using Madera County Jail's video visitation equipment means you're subject to monitoring and recording. Keep things appropriate - say only what you'd be comfortable having reviewed.
- ✓ Don’t drive during an off-site (remote) visit - visitors are not allowed to operate a motor vehicle during off-site visitation.
- ✓ Log in the right way - the visitor and the incarcerated person must each be logged in under their own individual HomeWAV credentials (no sharing accounts for a visit).
Can't make your scheduled time? Don't just no-show. If you don't contact the facility, the visit gets canceled but still counts against your weekly limit.
If scheduling isn't working, start with the most common issue: approval status. You have to be on the incarcerated person's approved visiting list before you can visit. Verify that first before troubleshooting anything else.
Your HomeWAV account - whether app or website - is your home base. Create the account first, then schedule and double-check your appointment details there. If something looks off, make sure you're signed into your own account before trying again.
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