Did you know that about 0.7 percent of adults in the resident population of the United States are incarcerated. If you are one of the millions of people in the United States who has a loved one who is in either jail or prison, then you might be excited to hear about a new innovation in the field of visitation. These days, more and more prisons are implementing virtual visitation systems as a way to make the process easier, safer, and a lot cheaper. Here are a few facts that you need to know if you have a loved on in a prison that is too far away to get to on a regular basis.

Video visitation systems are the use of videoconferencing and or analog CCTV systems and software to allow inmates and visitors to visit at a distance as opposed to a face to face visit. Virtual visitation systems make it easier for people to see the people they love if they live far away, but they also make the visitation process easier for those who life closer, and the prison or jail as well.

One of the main benefits for video inmate visitation is that it greatly reduces the amount of manpower needed to conduct visits by reducing the movement of inmates. Since the extensive security checks are not needed, less officers are needed to oversee the visitation. This saves the prison money that could be better used to help rehabilitate inmates so that they are less likely to find themselves incarcerated again in the future.

Recently, internet visitation has offered the further possibility of allowing detention centers to reduce visitor traffic by enabling them to visit from home or their office. This is great for people who live out of state that would not have a chance to visit their loved one on anything like a regular basis.

Though it is still in its infancy, visitation technology will put the burden of scheduling and administration of the visitation process on family and friends so that the facility can redirect its time and energy to better more fruitful pursuits.