What You Need to Know Before Your First Video Visit at Western Regional Jail
Your first video visit goes smoother when you know where to go, when the kiosks are open, and what might cause a visit to fall through. Here's how onsite video visits work at Western Regional Jail—and how to avoid the common hiccups.
Onsite video visits happen in the jail lobby using kiosks. Six kiosks are available, and one is ADA compliant. If you or someone in your group needs the accessible kiosk, give yourself extra time - it may be occupied when you arrive.
The lobby kiosks are open every day from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm. That's a wide window, but evenings tend to get crowded - especially if you're trying to visit after work or school.
Each inmate gets one free 20-minute video visit per week. To make that free visit count, coordinate ahead of time. You don't want to use it on a day when the person you're visiting can't get to the screen or their unit is tied up with scheduled activities.
Even during kiosk hours, video visits aren't allowed during inmate meal times or housing unit headcounts. If you show up and can't connect, this is usually why. Your best bet is to wait and try again within the 10:00 am–10:00 pm window.
Visits can also be blocked because of an inmate's status. Western Regional Jail restricts video visitation for disciplinary reasons, and inmates in disciplinary segregation, cell restriction, medical isolation, close observation, or suicide watch cannot receive personal visits from family or friends. If your visit suddenly becomes unavailable, it may have nothing to do with you - these restrictions can block visits even when you've done everything right.
Note: These restrictions on personal visits don’t apply to attorneys or court-related personnel when they’re performing their duties.
Attorney visiting hours run daily from 7:30 am to 9:30 pm, Monday through Sunday. That's a longer window than the lobby kiosk hours for family and friends, and it's reserved for legal visits.
Need to arrange a special visit - like a clergy or volunteer visit? Those are handled through the facility's Treatment leadership and scheduled according to current procedures. If your situation is time-sensitive, ask about special-visit scheduling before making the trip.
Arrival Checklist
- ✓ Go during lobby kiosk hours: 10:00 am–10:00 pm (daily)
- ✓ Plan to use one of the six lobby kiosks (one kiosk is ADA compliant)
- ✓ Avoid meal times and housing unit headcounts - video visits aren’t allowed during those windows
- ✓ Plan around the one free 20-minute video visit per inmate each week
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