The Duchesne County Jail is the latest to join the trend of installing video visitation kiosks for inmates to use to visit with friends and family. According to the Duchesne County Sheriff’s Office, the kiosks were expected to be installed by July 15th and the new system eliminates the need for an inmate’s family and friends to travel to the jail for a visit. Commander of the Duchesne County Jail Lt. Travis Givens explains that regular in-person visits are still an option but in-person visits will eventually be phased out. “Not all of our inmates have family and friends who live nearby,” shares Givens. “This new system will eliminate travel for family and friends. It will also allow inmates to see their loved ones more often and with greater convenience.” The new kiosks allow inmates to have a video visit from their housing units anytime during the day whereas, in person visits were more limited because the jail only has seven visitation rooms and they are only available on weekends. The new system is also expected to increase officer and inmate safety at the jail by reducing traffic in hallways which cuts down on interactions between inmates who may have disputes. The kiosks are also expected to improve communication between inmates and their attorneys. The HomeWAV system does require funds to pay for the video visits and messaging but a few of the kiosks are being installed for visitors to use without having to pay for visiting time.
