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ST4s

Hey y’all, I just had my first video visit with one of my buds in Texas and wanted to pass this along. I can’t say how this works statewide, but for approved visitors, the way it works at his unit goes like this:

  1. Call the unit ahead of time to schedule. They’ll ask who it’s for, their inmate number, your name, and your mobile phone number. They were pretty accommodating re: days/times I could do this, and we got it on the calendar.
  2. About 15 minutes before the visit was scheduled to begin, they texted me a weblink.
  3. Follow the link, enter your name, hit “continue”.
  4. The webpage that opens gives you three options: download the “Jitsi Meet” app for iPhone, for Android, or open the visit in a web browser, (had I known this ahead of time, I’d have had the app already downloaded). The app asks for permission to use your phone’s microphone and camera.
  5. Nothing happened with this newly installed app until I went back to the original text, hit the link again, entered my name again, and launched the visit in the app.
  6. It had a “join meeting” button (not sure of the exact wording, but that’s the idea) that once you hit it, produces a faceless corrections officer who asks you to hold your ID up to the camera, and then goes over the rules: no walking around (bummer), only you on camera, and no discussions related to sex, drugs, or money.
  7. And then BOOM!!! There’s your bud!!! In air-conditioned comfort!!! (Note: if you have any buds in the TDCJ, you already know how welcome and rare this opportunity is, especially this time of year).

And that’s it! The visit lasted one full hour, at zero cost to either party. Word is, my bud gets one of these visits per month. If this is available to you and your bud/pal/loved one, it's worth it for the air conditioning alone!!! Recommendation: get the app ahead of time so it doesn't cut into your visit. Also, the audio quality on our visit was 10x better with earbuds.

Happy visiting!


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alinecampos

Hi Miriam, I haven't been able to schedule my video call yet. I don't speak English, only Spanish and when I call, they speak only English. But I'm trying lol

 
Mi_ri_am

I meant: any documents :-D An US-adress or ID?

 
Mi_ri_am

Hi Aline! Hi! Have you had your video call yet? Did you need documentation? I'm from Germany and on his list, but will that work?

 
alinecampos

I'm already approved in the list of visitors, when I call, do I need to send any documents or register?

 
Jeanne555

Hello, I had 2 Texas penpals at 2 different units. They both had a different system for a video visit. I had a visit with one via Jitsi Meet same as ST4 and another one through Securus. I am in Canada so I would assume that this is all open to international penpals.
With Jitsi Meet it was free like ST4 mentioned, had to call unit in advance to schedule the visit. Just make sure they added you to your penpal's visit list already. I scheduled a visit once and apparently they didn't even add me to the approved list yet so that was a bummer.

Also had a visit via Securus app which I liked better because there are just 2 screens one is you and another one is your penpal so you can see him closer. The guard is somewhere behind the camera so you don't even see him. To schedule a visit was easy just via the app. I read that my penpal was supposed to have 3 free first visits and then you pay but after the first visit I tried to schedule another one in a month and it asked me to pay with USA based credit card which I don't have. I tried it another month and same scenario. So unfortunately that is the only visit that I had. ID was required for both visits. Also just wanted to mention that if you need to do visit outside that is totally ok. I could not do it at home because there were construction noises and did it in the park and that was acceptable.

 
DontTellMyMom

Thanks! Do you have any links about the video chatting via Jitsi? Not sure how long this has been an option or if it is at all units? All I get is Securus when I google video chatting.

 
ST4s

HA! No, I’m happy to report this was a Securus-free event! It took place via the “Jitsi Meet” app (available for iOS and Android) – though there was also an option to use a web browser. See steps 1-4 above for further details.

The device my bud used on his end was bolted to the wall in a special, air-conditioned room, so, some type of a kiosk maybe. Apparently, these are also used for video court appearances.

On my end, I used my mobile phone – but the next time I do this I’ll use my tablet instead for more screen area.

The video portion was like a zoom or MS teams meeting – three individual squares for the meeting participants: my bud, me, and the faceless corrections officer – who only interrupted at the end to alert us to the time remaining.

 

I’ve heard the TDCJ tablet rumors too, but this isn’t that.

 
DontTellMyMom

Thanks so much for this! Can you tell me if this video visit was through Securus? Or, was it through a tablet? Like, what device was your pp using to video chat with you? I read that TX prisoners will soon be getting tablets, but the articles don't have any implementation date and just basically state in a "few months." This TDCJ page shows Securus (picture looks like a kiosk/station thing) and tablets both as options for video visiting, with the tablet one listing a lot more eligible units, but not sure if that actually means they're all already available for tablet video visits, given there being no other info online and the timeline stated by articles. 

 
alinecampos

I also need this information please.

 
claudiagf

,Hi Fabi, if you ever find out if this is possible for us overseas, please let me know. I have a pp in Texas as well and communication options are so limited  

 

 
ST4s

Ciao Fabi – I was wondering about that, if it might be a possible solution for folks outside of the U.S. My guess is the visitor’s list part must happen first no matter what, and after that, a mobile phone number that can receive text messages.

Re: emailing the prison vs. calling, I don’t know. I can tell you when I called the first time, I was told the scheduling officer was on lunch break and to call back between X and Y, their time. I called back and it wasn’t a long conversation at all – sorting out the day/time for the video visit.

 
fabi.97

Hey! Thanks for the info, my penpal is Texas and I'm in Italy so we can't even talk on the phone. Do you think this thing would be available from here? He's been trying to put me in his visitors list but we still haven't received a response.. Also, is there a way to contact the prison for example through an email instead of a call?