Dallas County Set to Stop Most Face-to-Face Jail Visits, Charge Families for Video

[libertyjam]

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfa..._for_video.php

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins and prisoner rights advocates are pushing back against a contract that would eliminate face-to-face meetings between prisoners in the county's jails and their visitors.

County commissioners are set to vote Tuesday on contract with Securus Technologies, a private company that provides video technology to jails. The contract, which Commissioners Mike Cantrell and John Wiley Price* (*Indicted for bribery and corruption County Commissioner and Crook) have endorsed, would hand management of jail telephones to the company too.

Family members would face paying for the privilege of video-conferencing with jailed loved ones under the contract, with the county taking a percentage of the money. Jenkins is OK with video visitation and fees to cover the costs, but doesn't think the county should make a profit off the system. He wants to reject the contract and seek new bids.

The Dallas Morning News has reported that "the contract's wording seems to suggest that face-to-face visits could be banned."

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