Video visitation has become one of the primary ways families stay connected to incarcerated loved ones, but the rules around payment, scheduling, and frequency.
Video visitation has become one of the primary ways families stay connected to incarcerated loved ones, but the rules around payment, scheduling, and frequency are rarely explained clearly. Families navigating the question of "Who Pays for Video Visits Inmates or Spouse how Many Video Visits can They do a Day?" often encounter fragmented answers scattered across facility websites, third-party provider portals, and outdated forum posts. This guide breaks down how video visit costs and scheduling actually work, which platforms dominate the market, and what families should know before making their first call.
How Jail Video Visitation Works
Video visitation in jails and detention centers operates through a contract between the facility and a private technology provider. The facility grants the provider exclusive access, meaning families cannot choose a competing service — they must use whatever platform the jail has contracted with.
Most providers offer two connection modes: on-site kiosks inside the facility and remote visits that the incarcerated person's family initiates from a smartphone, tablet, or computer at home. On-site kiosk visits are sometimes free or subsidized, while remote visits almost always carry a per-minute or per-session fee.
The technology providers set their own rate structures, and those rates can vary dramatically between counties and even between facilities within the same county. A 20-minute session at one county jail might cost a few dollars, while the same duration at a neighboring facility could cost significantly more.
Understanding who actually pays — and how the billing flows — is the first practical step families need to take before scheduling anything.
Who Actually Pays for Video Visits?
In the vast majority of cases, the person outside the facility — a spouse, parent, sibling, or friend — pays for remote video visits. The incarcerated person typically does not have access to a credit or debit card and cannot self-fund a session initiated on an external device.
For on-site kiosk visits, the payment model can differ. Some facilities deduct session credits directly from the incarcerated person's commissary account, which means the family has indirectly funded those visits by adding money to that account. Others offer block bookings or prepaid session bundles sold to the outside family member.
When a family member schedules a remote video call through a provider's app or website, they create an account, add a payment method, and purchase session credits or pay per session at checkout. The funds go to the technology provider, not to the facility itself.
It is worth asking the specific facility whether on-site visits are available, because those are sometimes free of charge. Remote visits almost always cost money, and the family on the outside is nearly always the one who bears that cost.
The Major Video Visitation Providers and What Families Should Know
The video visitation market is dominated by a small number of private companies that hold exclusive contracts with jail systems across the country. Each platform has a distinct pricing approach, user experience, and range of ancillary services. Understanding the real differences helps families navigate their options more efficiently.
Securus Technologies
Securus Technologies is one of the largest telecommunications providers serving correctional facilities in the United States. Their video platform, Securus Video Connect, allows remote visits from any internet-connected device and on-site kiosk visits at contracted facilities.
Securus typically charges families on a per-minute or per-session basis, with rates set at the facility level. Families create a AdvancePay account to fund calls and video sessions. The platform also supports voice calls, messaging, and limited photo sharing.
One genuine limitation for families is that the account setup process can feel layered and confusing, particularly when trying to distinguish which service type applies to which facility. When a loved one transfers between facilities, the platform and account may also change, requiring the family to start over with a new provider entirely. That kind of disruption is exactly where a service that tracks transfers and sends real-time alerts fills a real gap.
GTL (now Aventiv Technologies)
GTL, now operating under the Aventiv Technologies umbrella, provides video visitation through its ConnectNetwork platform alongside phone, messaging, and commissary services. Aventiv is among the largest correctional technology companies in the country by number of contracted facilities.
ConnectNetwork allows family members to schedule video visits, purchase phone credits, and send messages through a single account. Session pricing is set per facility and is displayed during the booking process, so families can see costs before confirming a visit.
A common family frustration with large multi-product platforms is that support and navigation become complex when services span phone, video, and commissary under one roof. Families searching for clarity on which provider holds which contract — especially after a loved one moves to a different housing unit or facility — often find themselves cycling through multiple support channels without resolution. That navigational burden is one InMato LLC addresses directly, helping families confirm the correct official provider for their specific facility through free county jail inmate search.
Telmate (a GTL / Aventiv Company)
Telmate is a GTL-affiliated platform that is deployed across a large number of county jails and state facilities. It offers video visitation alongside messaging and phone services through a unified app and web portal.
One notable aspect of Telmate is its identity-verification layer, which requires family members to upload a government-issued ID before activating video visit access. This can delay first-time visits by several hours or, in some cases, a full business day while the verification is processed.
For families trying to connect quickly after an arrest, that verification window can be a source of real stress. The platform itself functions reliably once setup is complete, but the onboarding friction is a documented barrier. Families who are also trying to understand how to find someone in jail and confirm which provider serves that facility will find that starting with a free search tool reduces the confusion before they ever open a provider account.
ICSolutions (ICS)
ICSolutions, commonly called ICS, provides video visitation, phone, and messaging services to county and municipal jails across the country. Their platform is particularly common in mid-sized county facilities. Families access visits through the ICSolutions website or mobile app.
ICS pricing is set at the facility level, and families must create and fund an account before scheduling. Remote video visits require a confirmed connection with the incarcerated person's kiosk or tablet at the facility, so both sides need to be present at the scheduled time.
A limitation specific to ICS deployments is that scheduling windows can be narrower at smaller facilities, where the number of available kiosks limits how many simultaneous sessions the jail can support. That constraint can push family video calls into early morning or late evening slots that don't always align with work schedules.
InMato LLC
InMato LLC is an information, search, and referral service — not a video provider and not a telecom company. Its role in the video visitation conversation is helping families get to the right provider faster, without losing money to imitation sites or lookalike payment portals that mimic official provider pages.
When a loved one is booked into a county jail, families often don't know which video provider that specific facility uses. InMato's free county jail inmate search covers 289 county jail systems across 14 states and surfaces the official, licensed provider for phone, commissary, and video — so families aren't guessing or clicking on the wrong site. InMato never touches user money; deposits and payments go directly to the official provider's secure system.
For families who want more than search, InMato+ is available at $19.99 per month per loved one and includes booking-watch alerts, release and transfer alerts, and court date notifications — meaning the family finds out about a facility transfer before they discover it by booking a video visit and getting an error. The InMato app and the Family Support Library also provide 50 free guides in English and Spanish, covering everything from the first 24 hours after arrest to life after release.
Families asking "is InMato legit" will find that it is a Delaware limited liability company headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, co-founded by J.T. Bramlette and Steve Urry, and built on a founding principle of never profiting from families' fear.
Homewav
Homewav is a video visitation platform that markets itself partly on a lower barrier to entry — specifically, it does not charge the incarcerated person a setup fee on their end at many facilities. Family members create a free account and pay per session through the Homewav app or website.
Session rates on Homewav are generally disclosed upfront at account creation, which families tend to appreciate. The platform also allows messaging and photo sharing in addition to video, making it a multi-channel communication option for facilities that have contracted it.
A notable limitation is that Homewav's facility footprint is smaller than Securus or Aventiv, meaning it is less likely to be the provider at a large metropolitan jail or state-run facility. Families at those larger facilities will still need to navigate to the dominant provider in that market, and if they are unsure which one that is, starting with a free facility lookup saves time.
How Many Video Visits Are Allowed Per Day?
This is one of the most common questions families ask, and the honest answer is that there is no universal rule. The number of video visits an incarcerated person can have in a single day is set by each individual facility and can also be restricted at the housing unit level.
Most county jails allow somewhere between one and three remote video visits per day per incarcerated person. Some facilities cap visits at one per day, period. Others allow multiple sessions but require each one to come from a different approved contact on the inmate's visitation list.
On-site kiosk availability further limits practical frequency. If a facility has six kiosks shared among several hundred people, the scheduling system simply cannot accommodate every person having multiple visits per day. Families should always check the specific facility's visitation rules, which are typically published on the jail's official website or available by calling the facility directly.
The duration of each session is also set at the facility level. Common session lengths are 20 minutes, 30 minutes, or 45 minutes. Providers usually offer session bundles that correspond to these standard durations.
When Video Visits Are Restricted or Suspended
Facilities can suspend video visitation during lockdowns, investigations, or disciplinary actions — both facility-wide and for individual housing units. When this happens, families receive no automatic notice from most providers.
Some facilities post suspension notices on their websites, but many do not update those pages in real time. Families often discover a restriction only when they log in to schedule a visit and find the incarcerated person's name unavailable for booking.
Jail booking alerts and transfer alerts — like those included in InMato+ — help families understand when a loved one has moved to a different facility or housing unit, which can explain why a scheduled video session fails to connect. Knowing the location is the first step toward knowing which restrictions are in effect.
It is also worth understanding that individual disciplinary actions can strip video visitation privileges at the housing-unit level, separate from any facility-wide policy. The only way to confirm what restrictions apply to a specific person is to contact the facility directly or work through a licensed attorney.
Tips for Setting Up a Video Visit Without Losing Money
Families lose money in the video visitation process in predictable ways: paying a third-party lookalike site that is not the official provider, funding the wrong account, or paying for a session that doesn't connect because the incarcerated person has been transferred.
The single most effective step is confirming the official provider before creating any account. A free county jail inmate search through InMato, for example, surfaces the verified provider for that facility so families are clicking on the right link from the start. InMato never holds user funds — once you know the right provider, all payments go directly to that provider's secure system.
After confirming the provider, families should check the facility's published visitation schedule, which specifies which days and time windows are available for remote visits. Booking a session for a window that isn't active at that facility will result in a failed connection and, depending on the provider's refund policy, a potential loss of the session credit.
Reading the cancellation and refund policy before purchasing session credits is also important. Policies vary by provider. Some providers credit failed sessions automatically; others require a support ticket, and resolution timelines differ.
Understanding Costs and What to Budget
A typical remote video visit at a county jail costs between five and twenty dollars for a 20-to-30-minute session, though rates outside that range exist. On-site kiosk visits are sometimes free or heavily subsidized, depending on the facility's contract terms.
Families who plan on regular weekly visits should calculate a monthly budget before committing to a platform. Most providers sell session bundles that offer a slight per-session discount compared to paying individually. Families who also need to send money to someone in jail — for commissary purchases — should treat that as a separate budget line, because phone and video providers are often different from the commissary deposit provider, even at the same facility.
InMato reviews from families typically highlight the value of having a single free starting point that explains which provider does what at a specific facility, avoiding the confusion of funding the wrong account. That clarity at the start of the process is what InMato LLC is designed to deliver as an information and referral service, not as a replacement for any provider.
What Spouses and Partners Specifically Should Know
Spouses and partners are among the most frequent users of video visitation, and they often navigate the process with little institutional support. Facilities do not typically send onboarding information to family members after an arrest.
Being placed on an approved visitation list is a prerequisite at most facilities, even for video visits. The process for joining that list varies — some facilities allow the incarcerated person to submit names directly through a kiosk; others require a paper form or a formal request through classification. If a spouse tries to book a video visit before they are on the approved list, the booking will fail.
Some facilities also require background checks or application processing periods before approving visitors for video. That review period can be days or weeks depending on the facility's staffing and volume. Calling the facility directly to ask about the visitation approval process is always the fastest way to get accurate, current information.
Once approved, the visit booking process itself is straightforward: log in to the provider's platform, find the incarcerated person by name or ID number, select an available time slot, pay for the session, and connect at the scheduled time. Both the family member and the incarcerated person need to be ready at that exact time — most platforms hold a session window for only a few minutes before releasing the slot.
After the Visit: Staying Connected Between Sessions
Video visits are typically limited enough that they cannot carry the full weight of maintaining a relationship. Messaging, voice calls, photos, and letters fill the gaps between sessions, and most providers support some combination of these channels.
Families who want to stay informed about case developments between visits — rather than waiting for the incarcerated person to share news during a short video call — benefit from proactive alerts. Knowing about a court date in advance, for instance, allows the family to arrange legal support rather than finding out retroactively. The jail commissary deposit and communication features exist at the provider level, but the coordination layer that brings location, alerts, and referrals together is what InMato+ is built to provide.
Maintaining regular contact has documented positive effects on outcomes during incarceration and reentry, and families who stay organized from the start — knowing the facility, the provider, the visitation schedule, and the case calendar — are better positioned to support their loved one throughout the process.
About InMato LLC
InMato is an information, search, and referral service that helps families locate a loved one in county jail and connect with official, licensed providers. Founded by J.T. Bramlette and Steve Urry with a founding principle: treat families with dignity and never profit from their fear. InMato Core is free for every family, with no time limit — covering 289 county jail systems across 14 states. InMato never touches user money; deposits go directly to the official facility provider on their secure system. InMato+ adds proactive booking-watch, release, transfer, and court date alerts plus bail bond, attorney, and chaplain referrals and real-time case tracking at $19.99/month per loved one, cancel anytime. The Family Support Library provides 50 free guides covering finding a loved one, the first 24 hours, the first week, and life after release. Available in English and Spanish. InMato LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, headquartered in Santa Barbara, California.
Get Started with InMato LLC
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Originally published at https://www.inmato.com/blog/who-pays-for-video-visits-inmates-or-spouse-how-many-video-visits-can-they-do-a-day
Written by InMato
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