Western Tidewater Jail

Western Tidewater Jail offers video visitation through six lobby kiosks (one ADA-compliant), open daily from 10:00am–10:00pm. Each account gets one free 20-minute onsite visit per week. For remote video visits, inmates set up sessions from their housing unit tablet by creating a GettingOut account—you can schedule visits, send messages, and share photos through the GettingOut app or website. Video visits are blocked during meals and headcounts, and some inmates may lose privileges for disciplinary reasons. Personal visits are denied for those in disciplinary segregation, cell restriction, medical isolation, close observation, or suicide watch (attorneys and court personnel are excepted). Attorney visits happen daily from 7:30am–9:30pm. Items generally can't be brought in without a specific exception, and former inmates must wait at least 30 days after release to visit.

Western Tidewater Jail uses GettingOut for digital communication. You can send messages, share photos, and schedule video visits through the GettingOut app or at www.GettingOut.com/sign-in. Phone calls are outgoing only—debit or collect—and each call is capped at 15 minutes to keep access fair. All calls are monitored and recorded. Phone privileges aren't available between 10:45pm and 10:00am. Attorney calls are permitted on a collect basis using the housing-area phone system. For emergencies, incoming calls go to the Shift Commander, who verifies the situation before notifying the inmate. The jail doesn't pass along general messages. TTY-TDD service is available, and vendor support numbers are provided for kiosk/phone issues and blocked-number complaints.

Mail at Western Tidewater Regional Jail works differently than many facilities. Personal letters and photos go to the facility's designated P.O. Box in Phoenix, Maryland, then get delivered electronically to the inmate's tablet through the

At Western Tidewater Jail, commissary spending is capped at $200 per order, and family or friends can deposit up to $200 per week—plan purchases around that weekly limit. Canteen orders can't be placed on Mondays. Deliveries typically start Wednesday, and the jail may take until Friday to finish distributing orders. If someone is released or leaves before delivery, the order is returned to Oasis and the money credited back—but those credits don't replace the cash balance paid out on release day. Release funds usually come on a debit card unless the balance is under $25, which is paid in cash. For vendor help, the facility lists Oasis, Viapath, and Aramark for commissary, kiosk, or deposit issues.