Understanding Pima County Jail's Video Visit Pricing: Free vs Paid Options
Pima County Jail uses video for every visit — but what you pay depends on where you're visiting from. Here's how the free weekly on-site visit works, what extra time costs, and how remote pricing adds up.
All visits at Pima County Jail are video visits. Whether you're at the jail's on-site lobby or connecting remotely from home, you'll see and talk to your loved one through a screen - not in a traditional visiting room.
The difference comes down to location and cost. On-site video visits happen in the Main Jail lobby. Remote visits happen online from wherever you have internet. The free option only applies to on-site visits; remote visits are always paid.
The free option is simple: each inmate gets one 30-minute on-site video visit per week at no charge. If you're watching your budget, this weekly free visit is the place to start.
Planning tip: Save your “big” conversations for the free 30-minute on-site visit each week, and use paid options only when you need more time or can’t make it to the lobby.
Need more time? You can add extra 30-minute blocks while you're visiting on-site for $9.00 per inmate, per day. That "per inmate, per day" wording matters - think of it as an add-on you can choose on days you're already there, not something that automatically applies every visit.
Remote visits work differently. Each session maxes out at 15 minutes, charged at $0.25 per minute. Good for quick check-ins, but the time cap means you'll need multiple sessions for longer conversations. And the per-minute cost adds up faster than you might expect.
Cost snapshot: A full 15-minute remote visit costs $3.75 (15 × $0.25). An extra 30 minutes added to an on-site visit costs $9.00. If you only need a short check-in, remote can be cheaper; if you’re trying to talk longer, the on-site extra-time option may be easier to budget.
4
- ✓ Use the free 30-minute on-site video visit each week for longer, catch-up conversations.
- ✓ Use remote visits for short check-ins, since each session is capped at 15 minutes.
- ✓ If you need more than the free weekly time, consider adding a paid 30-minute on-site increment for $9.00 rather than stacking multiple remote sessions.
- ✓ Before you start a remote visit, do the quick math: $0.25 per minute means even a “few extra minutes” adds up fast.
To avoid surprise costs on remote visits, budget by the minute. Sessions max out at 15 minutes and cost $0.25 per minute - so multiply your expected minutes by $0.25. Going past 15 minutes? You'll need to start a new session.
Find an Inmate at Pima County Jail, AZ
Search for a loved one and send messages and photos in minutes.
