Video Visits at Robinson: Scheduling Rules and Common Mistakes

Robinson Correctional Center uses the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) video visitation system, which has moved from GTL to ICSolutions (ATCs are the exception). You'll set up your account and schedule visits through ICSolutions - not GTL. If you're following an older GTL process, you'll hit a dead end.

Robinson has a strict booking window: you must schedule at least 7 days ahead, and you can book up to 30 days in advance. The most common mistake? Waiting until the week you want to visit. If you're inside that 7-day minimum, the system won't let you book. Need to coordinate time off work or childcare? Grab your preferred slot as soon as it opens up. That 30-day window exists for a reason - use it.

Robinson limits video visits to one per day per incarcerated individual. Even if multiple family members want to connect, the count doesn't reset just because someone else books - only one video visit can happen that day.

There's also a weekly cap: two video visits per week per incarcerated individual. This limit applies even in restrictive housing - those visits count toward the same two-per-week total. Schedules fill up fast. Book early in the week, then try to squeeze in "just one more"? The weekly cap is usually why you can't.

Robinson blocks video visits between 2:30pm and 4:30pm for institutional count procedures. If you're scanning for openings and wondering why that time slot never appears, now you know. Plan around it.

All visits - including video visits - are monitored and recorded. Assume the call isn't private. Keep the conversation appropriate and don't share anything you wouldn't want reviewed later.

Common Mistakes

• ✓ Trying to schedule less than 7 days ahead and assuming a last-minute slot will open up
• ✓ Expecting to book more than one video visit in the same day
• ✓ Forgetting the two-visits-per-week limit (including visits that happen while your loved one is in restrictive housing)
• ✓ Picking a time between 2:30pm and 4:30pm, when visits aren’t scheduled because of institutional count

Want to avoid most scheduling headaches? Build your plan around the fixed rules. Book at least a week out and claim your preferred day as soon as it falls within the 30-day window. Track your weekly total - once you've used two visits, the system won't let you add another. And skip the 2:30pm–4:30pm blackout entirely. Pick a different time instead of trying to force it.

Nudity is prohibited during video visits. If someone might walk through the background or appear on camera unexpectedly, set up your device in a private, controlled space before the visit starts.