Attorney Visits vs. Videoconferences at NJ Prisons: Which One Should You Request?

These are two separate processes with very different lead times. For an in-person attorney visit, you (or your representative) must give written notice or call the incarcerated person's housing facility administrator at least 24 hours before the intended visit. Videoconferences take longer on the front end: requests must be faxed at least 48 hours before the requested day, and weekends and holidays don't count toward that 48-hour window. That difference alone can decide what you request, especially when you're trying to meet on short notice.

For attorney visits, the notice itself matters. The facility expects specific identifying information in that 24-hour notice, so have names exactly as they appear in your records before you submit anything.

The biggest advantage of meeting in person is straightforward: direct client contact, with a shorter request window. NJDOC's attorney-visit rules let you request a visit with at least 24 hours' notice (by written notification or phone call to the housing facility administrator). When schedules are tight, this is often the quickest way to get face time.

• ✓ Attorney’s name
• ✓ Incarcerated person’s name
• ✓ Name of the attorney to be interviewed

Videoconferencing works best when moving people is the problem. NJDOC describes it as a way to conduct criminal-justice proceedings without transporting incarcerated people from the secure confines of correctional institutions. If you're handling proceedings, hearings, or any matter where travel would slow things down, a VTC can be more efficient. Just make sure you can meet the scheduling rules.

• ✓ Fax the videoconference request at least 48 hours before the requested day (weekends and holidays do not count)
• ✓ Plan within operational hours: 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday
• ✓ Aim to start no later than one hour before closing time, whenever possible

1. Check how soon you need the conversation. If you need the earliest possible appointment, an in-person attorney visit may be the better request because it can be made with at least 24 hours’ notice.
2. Rule out VTC if the timeline is tight. Videoconference requests must be faxed at least 48 hours before the requested day, and weekends and holidays are excluded, so short-notice scheduling can slip quickly.
3. Request based on what the timeline can actually support. If you can meet the 24-hour window but not the 48-hour fax window, prioritize the in-person attorney visit request.

When distance is the main obstacle, videoconferencing is usually the cleanest fit. NJDOC's VTC program handles criminal-justice proceedings without transporting incarcerated people out of the institution. That means you can often skip the time and logistics of getting to the facility for an in-person meeting, assuming you can schedule within the program's constraints.

If you're concerned a contact visit could be restricted for security or orderly-operation reasons, plan for a non-contact format as a backup. NJDOC's rules say that when contact visits are denied, staff should make efforts to provide a non-contact attorney visit consistent with orderly operation. Considering videoconferencing instead? Keep the timing practical: VTCs are meant to start no later than one hour before the program's closing time whenever possible, so late-day requests are harder to land.

Before you submit anything, confirm the local procedure for the specific prison (including South Woods State Prison). The New Jersey Department of Corrections lists addresses and telephone numbers online for all state prisons. That's the quickest way to pull the correct contact information for the facility you're dealing with.

• ✓ Build in extra time for VTC requests since the required 48 hours excludes weekends and holidays
• ✓ Reconfirm the appointment timing after you send the fax request