What to Know Before Your First Video Visit with an Inmate at Pocahontas Correctional Center

Video visits for Pocahontas Correctional Center are run under Virginia Department of Corrections rules, and you’ll generally see two ways to do them: from home using the GTL system, or at an AFOI (Assisting Families of Inmates) Visitor Center. The AFOI option is a “visitor-center” setup that uses mailed paperwork and a fee, which can be helpful if you don’t have reliable internet or a private place to take the call at home.

Before your first video visit, handle the basics the same way you would for anything official: use your legal name when you register, and make sure you have a valid government-issued photo ID if you’re 18 or older. Staff use this information to confirm who is actually participating in the visit, so nicknames or mismatched names can create problems at check-in or when the visit is reviewed.

If a child will be visiting, plan for the paperwork to be tied to an adult from the start. VADOC requires all applications for minors to be attached to an adult visitation application, so you’ll want the adult’s application in place and include the minor’s information as part of that process.

1. Log into GTL early for at-home visits - be logged into the GTL system at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start time.
2. Arrive early for AFOI Visitor Center visits - be at the Visitor Center at least 20 minutes before your scheduled visit.
3. Treat the time slot like an appointment - visits run for the exact time scheduled, and fees aren’t refunded for late arrivals or missed visits.

Dress Behavior Rules

• ✓ Wear outer garments and undergarments that cover from the neck to the kneecaps
• ✓ Make sure everyone is wearing underwear

During the visit, plan to stay seated the whole time - both you and the inmate are expected to remain seated, and you can’t lie down. If you’re visiting from home, choose a family-friendly area (think living room or dining room), not a setting that would raise questions if someone is monitoring the call. Also, don’t try to “make it work” from the car: participating while driving is prohibited.

Keep the space “clean” from a technology standpoint. Other than the device you’re using to connect to the visit, no additional technology should be present (for example: a cellphone, computer, tablet, or television). And don’t loop in anyone through outside apps or workarounds - third-party participation using technology outside the GTL Visitor Web application is prohibited.

Who May Join Minors

• ✓ Keep the group to five people total, including children
• ✓ If minors are present, at least one visitor must be over 18 and be the parent or legal guardian of the minor visitor(s)
• ✓ Don’t include any disallowed minor children in the visit

One practical tip for families: don’t wait until the day of the visit to sort out kids’ participation. Since minor applications must be attached to an adult visitation application, getting that paperwork lined up ahead of time can prevent last-minute disappointments.

Video visits at Pocahontas Correctional Center run on a tight schedule, and interruptions can end the call. If the inmate needs to use the restroom during the visit, the visit will be terminated. It’s also not the kind of appointment you can “join late and catch up” - visits start and end at the scheduled times, and fees won’t be refunded for late arrivals or missed visits.

VADOC treats video visitation rules seriously. If there’s a violation, video visitation privileges can be suspended for six months, and some violations can trigger enhanced sanctions up to and including a permanent ban from using the system. The safest approach is to keep the visit calm, follow the dress and technology rules, and avoid anything that could be viewed as trying to get around the rules.

1. Complete the Video Visiting List - fill it out and sign it.
2. Sign the Video Visitation Rules - include the signed rules with your paperwork.
3. Include the fee and mail the packet to AFOI - send the signed Video Visiting List, signed Video Visitation Rules, and the fee to Assisting Families of Inmates (AFOI), 1 North Fifth Street, Suite 416, Richmond, Virginia 23219.