More jails across the country are turning to video visitation for their inmates, with officials sayi

Описание: (20 May 2015) THIS VIDEO CONFERENCE IS THE CLOSEST CORRINA RAMIREZ CAN GET TO HER EX-HUSBAND--WHO'S CURRENTLY SERVING TIME AT THE FORT BEND COUNTY JAIL IN TEXAS�
SOUNDBITE (English) Corrina (pronounced COR-EE-NA) Ramirez, frequent visitor at Fort Bend county jail:
"Usually, just we talk about the kids, you know, what everything's that's going on in the house."
FORT BEND IS ONE OF A GROWING NUMBER OF PRISONS AND JAILS ACROSS THE COUNTRY MOVING AWAY FROM IN-PERSON VISITS.
SOUNDBITE (English) Lt. Daniel Quam, Fort Bend Sheriff's Office:
"You have the video visitation units inside of the housing unit so the inmate doesn't have to move anywhere, you don't have to worry about contraband control because it's not changing areas."
OF THE 23 TEXAS COUNTIES USING VIDEO VISITATION, 13 HAVE ELIMINATED IN-PERSON VISITS, WHICH DEFENSE ATTORNEY PHILIP HILDER SEES AS A PROBLEM.
SOUNDBITE (English) Philip Hilder, defense attorney:
"I think the human contact is needed, I think that even though there's a piece of glass there, there is a human body on the other side//I think that attorneys should be allowed to personally visit as well."
IN RESPONSE TO GROWING BACKLASH, THE TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HAS APPROVED A BILL PROVIDING A MINIMUM OF TWO WEEKLY IN-PERSON VISITS AT COUNTY JAILS. BUT IT'S UNCLEAR IF IT WILL PASS THE SENATE.
�LT. DANIEL QUAM SAYS VIDEO CONFERENCING IS THE NEW NORMAL, EVEN OUTSIDE OF JAIL.
SOUNDBITE (English) Lt. Daniel Quam, Fort Bend Sheriff's Office:
"I'm visiting my family on Skype, if I'm away on business. And so that's a common experience. Or if you're in the military and you're in another country, you're going to visit your family through video conferencing."
AS FOR RAMIREZ, SHE SAYS SHE PREFERS THE CONVENIENCE OF VIDEO.
SOUNDBITE (English) Corrina (pronounced COR-EE-NA) Ramirez, frequent visitor at Fort Bend county jail:
"It's, I guess it's the best thing than having to wait, 15 or 20 minutes for the person to actually walk in to sit down."
HER EX, WHO GOES BY "DANNY," SAYS THAT EVERY NOW AND THEN THE MONITOR OR CONNECTION GOES BAD�
SOUNDBITE (English) "Danny," inmate at Fort Bend county jail:
"But you just ask them to reset it and it's really no big deal."
IF THERE IS A TECHNICAL GLITCH, RAMIREZ AND DANNY SAY OFFICERS WILL GIVE THEM ADDITIONAL TIME TO CATCH UP ON THEIR CHILDREN.
JILL CRAIG/Associated Press, Houston

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