Video Visits vs. In-Person Visits in Connecticut: Key Differences, Limits, and What Costs (If Any)
Before planning any visit, use Connecticut DOC's Inmate Search to confirm where your loved one is housed. Visitation rules vary by facility - verify the location first to avoid a wasted trip.
Video visits at Northern Correctional Institution are free. No per-visit fee to connect - just make sure you have a device that can run a video call and a stable internet connection.
Don’t record the visit: Recording a video visit on your own phone, computer, tablet, or any other personal device is prohibited.
In-person visits have a strict headcount: no more than two visitors total, children included. Bringing a second adult plus a child? That exceeds the limit - you'll need to adjust your plan.
Video visits work differently. Up to three authorized adults can participate, and they must be listed on the Visit Request Form. Minors don't count toward this limit but can only join if a parent or legal guardian is present.
Quick comparison: In-person visits allow up to 2 visitors total (children included). Video visits allow up to 3 authorized adults (on the Visit Request Form), and minors don’t count toward that video limit but must be with a parent/legal guardian.
Treat your video visit request as pending until you hear back. A video visit isn't scheduled until the facility confirms it - don't assume it's set just because you submitted a request.
In-person visits have their own scheduling rules, and details can change. Check Northern Correctional Institution's current visiting information before you go so you're working from the latest schedule.
Video visits work well when distance, transportation, work schedules, or childcare make traveling difficult. They're also a good option when more than two people want to join - up to three authorized adults can participate, and minors can be there with a parent or legal guardian. Easier to coordinate for bigger families. In-person visits make more sense when being in the same room matters, especially if your loved one has an authorized contact visit. The headcount is smaller - two visitors max, including children - so you may need to rotate who goes.
Contact matters: For authorized contact visits, a brief embrace and kiss are allowed only at the beginning and end of the visit.
- ✓ Pick video if you need to include up to three authorized adults (listed on the Visit Request Form)
- ✓ Pick video if minors need to join (they don’t count toward the video-visit limit, but must be with a parent/legal guardian)
- ✓ Pick in-person if you can work within the two-visitor total limit (children included)
- ✓ Pick in-person if an authorized contact visit is available and that brief hello/goodbye contact matters to you
Double-check the facility assignment in the DOC Inmate Search. Don't treat a video visit as scheduled until the facility confirms it. And never record a video visit on your personal device.
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