Bringing Kids to a Video Visit at St. Joseph County Jail: What Families Need to Know
Video visits help kids stay connected with an incarcerated parent, but St. Joseph County Jail has strict rules about who needs to be present. Break them, and your visit could be denied or cut short. Here's what families need to know.
Planning a video visit with children? St. Joseph County Jail requires two things: the children must be with the parent or guardian who confirmed the visit, and that same person must be present during the call. You can't schedule a visit and then have someone else supervise the kids while you step away.
Note: If the person who scheduled the visit isn’t present, the visit can be denied even if everything else is set up correctly.
This rule comes up a lot. Maybe a grandparent, aunt, or babysitter is available to sit with the kids during the call - but if that adult isn't the parent/guardian who confirmed the visit (and scheduled it), the jail won't allow it. The simplest solution: schedule the visit for a time when the confirming parent/guardian can be on-screen with the child the entire time.
- ✓ Reschedule the visit for a time when the confirming parent/guardian can be present.
- ✓ Have the confirming parent/guardian be the one who attends the visit (not a substitute caregiver).
- ✓ Avoid planning a kids’ visit for a time when only a non-confirming caregiver will be available.
Keep things calm and supervised when kids are on-screen. Stay close enough to manage the conversation, redirect if your child wanders off, and step in quickly if emotions run high. Before the call starts, set clear expectations - where they'll sit, when they can talk, what's off-limits. A little prep prevents a lot of chaos.
- ✓ Stay with your child for the full visit and actively supervise.
- ✓ Keep kids seated and on-screen as much as possible.
- ✓ Do not display or use a cell phone or telephone during the visit.
Note: St. Joseph County Jail prohibits any display or use of a cellular device or telephone during the visit.
If prohibited activity happens during the visit, St. Joseph County Jail can end it immediately - no refund. When kids are involved, plan ahead to keep things steady. That means no pulling out your phone, no distractions, and staying engaged the whole time.
- Start the visit with clear expectations - keep kids supervised and settled so the call stays calm.
- Avoid prohibited behavior during the call - for example, don’t display or use a cell phone or telephone.
- Know what can happen if rules are broken - prohibited activity can lead to immediate termination of the visit.
- Plan as if there won’t be a redo - terminated visits are ended without a refund.
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