Monitor system replaces in-person visits at Rock County Jail
On the web
To learn more about the new Telmate video visitation system at the Rock County Jail or to create an account, visit telmate.com.
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In a demonstration of the Rock County Jail’s new video visitation units, Gazette reporter Ann Marie Ames, left, chats with Sheriff’s Office employee Grace Becker. The $350,000 system is the company’s first installation in Wisconsin.
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The Rock County Jail has installed four terminals that allow people to visit with jail inmates by video. The system also allows remote access from home computers.
JANESVILLE — Rock County Jail inmates can no longer see their loved ones in person during visitation, but new technology could expand the amount of time families can talk with incarcerated loved ones.
The technology already is lightening the load for correctional officers.
The jail no longer allows face-to-face visits between inmates and their friends or family members. Instead, visitors can start accounts with Telmate, a telecommunications company that has invested $350,000 in a video visitation system at the jail. The system is the company's first in Wisconsin, Sheriff Robert Spoden said.
Each inmate gets one free 30-minute video visitation each week. Friends or family members who want to talk to inmates more often can do so for a per-minute fee.
The rate is $7.50 for a 30-minute video chat using the monitors in the jail visitation room or $19.80 for a 30-minute chat from a home computer, Jail Cmdr. Erik Chellevold said.
Telmate installed the equipment at no cost to the county, Spoden said. According to the five-year contract between the county and Telmate, the company will collect the fees until the cost of equipment and installation is paid off, Spoden said.
That is expected to take about 20 months. After that, Telmate and the county will split the earnings 50-50, he said.
The money will be a new revenue stream for the county, Spoden said.
Previously, visitations took place on a first-come-first-served basis Saturdays at the jail. Visits were limited to 20 minutes, unless visitors had to travel farther than 25 miles, according to visitation information posted on the county's website.
Now, loved ones can video chat with inmates any day of the week at any time other than lockdown, when inmates are shut in cells and out of common areas, Spoden said.
How it works
A person who wants to visit with an inmate by video can create an account in a few minutes using a computer, a telephone or one of two kiosks in the jail lobby. Registration at the jail requires a photo scan of the visitor's driver's license. Registration from anywhere requires the last four digits of the visitor's Social Security number.
That is not new. Visitors were required to bring identification to meet with inmates for face-to-face visitations, Chellevold said.
Visitors who want to buy video time in addition to the free 30 minutes or who want to log in from home must add Visa or MasterCard credit or debit cards to their accounts, according to Telmate's video visitation instructions.
Visitors can log on to chat from anywhere in the world from any computer with a video camera and access to high-speed Internet. Telmate does not support video visitation from smartphones, according to the company's website.
Families without computer or Internet access at home can use one of four visitation monitors in a room in the jail lobby.
In Rock County, only Beloit's public library has computers with video camera availability, according to a Gazette survey. That library has two such laptops.
Built to last
For the inmates, touch-screen monitors are stationed in common areas in jail pods. When someone touches a screen, it opens to a list of pending visitation requests.
"They're watching it all the time," Spoden said about the monitors.
Inmates can choose to accept or deny visitation requests. Depending on the pod, between 16 and 24 inmates have access to one monitor. Telmate could add more if data show a higher demand, Spoden said.
The video visitation system does not change inmates' telephone privileges, Chellevold said. Like phone calls and mail, the video visitation sessions are monitored and recorded, he said.
The touch screens are built to last, Spoden said. He demonstrated for The Gazette by pounding on a screen with a handset. Although such activity is discouraged, the screen was undamaged.
Improved efficiency
The Telmate system will provide more than video visitation. Families can use Telmate to deposit funds into inmates' accounts for commissary purchases, bond, Huber fees or electronic monitoring fees.
"Basically, we've stopped touching cash," Chellevold said.
In the future, inmates could access the jail's law library on the monitors. They could have email access, limited access to some websites and paid access to computer games, Chellevold said.
The video systems also improve jail safety, he said. Historically, the lobby was packed on visitation days. Corrections officers were busy moving inmates from their pods to the visitation stations.
"From a security standpoint, it's not what you want to do," Chellevold said. "The less you have to move inmates, the better."
Sep 13, 2012 at 11:29 p.m.
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I just want to say a BIG "Thank You!" to the Janesville Police Department for stepping up the patrols around our schools in the area. After the last two weeks, I have been pretty nervous about this "unidentified male" trying to snatch kids off the streets on the way to & from school. I know I feel safer leaving my kids at school knowing the police are close by. So, "THANK YOU,JPD& RCSD! for all of your sincere committments to assisting in protecting our children & justice being delivered on all individual(s)involved."
Then I will sleep better knowing that they,( or possibly just a single predator???) are behind steel doors making Telemate & Rock County rich. Just saying. What better way to pay your debt back to society then by simply making an inmate earn his keep?
And on a side note, Is it possible that the attempted child endangerment on Conde Street this past week is related to the incident on Elizabeth Street this week???
Sep 13, 2012 at 12:55 p.m.
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melstew47, I believe the system is suppose to reduce staff strains, while increasing safety. This is an improvement in working conditions in my mind, which equals a "raise".
It seems that you, in contrast, are insinuating that the officers will work harder and safer with an increase in their salary. and that mentality is disturbing to me.
Sep 13, 2012 at 9:58 a.m.
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diverdown: "The question I have is, why aren't the libs complaining that the individuals wanting to use this need to show ID. Seems invasive and discriminating if you ask me......."
Because these people are not attempting to exercise a constitutionally guaranteed right. It's amazing to me that you can't recognize the difference. But then perhaps you're not all that concerned about your ability to exercise your constitutional rights.
Sep 12, 2012 at 12:35 p.m.
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Once again we have made a profit motive for filling our jails and prisons! Maybe now we can pay back the $3 trillion the "war on drugs" has cost us by filling the correction system in the first place! Hey, ironically it was the privatized prison owners, guards,alcohol manufacturers and drug dealers who opposed the measure to legalize cannabis in California (Prop 19- 2010)! Big private bucks available by targeting two minority groups in your "shoot-the-fish-in-barrel" enforcement proceedures. Do a good job and people will start investing in your business, especially if their new clients are a captive audience...st
Sep 11, 2012 at 4:21 p.m.
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GeorgeMcGovern - The system will cost the taxpayers nothing, and eventually provide extra revenue for the Sheriff's Dept. That sounds like a Conservative rather than a Liberal plan, don't you think?
melstew47 - It could possibly be used to increase salaries in one way or another. If they really get a 20 month payback of $350K then split the earnings 50/50 thereafter, that's $75K every 20 months.
Sep 11, 2012 at 3:59 p.m.
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i would not spend one red cent to endorse this,instead of this equipment,give the damn employees a raise!!!!!!
Sep 11, 2012 at 3:48 p.m.
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Next thing you know, Jimmy John's will be delivering to the Rock County inmates...
Sep 11, 2012 at 3:36 p.m.
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*GeorgeMcGovern--I think that, like Jesus, liberals are born with a love of their fellow human beings*
As long as their fellow human beings aren't CONSERVATIVES.
Sep 11, 2012 at 1:06 p.m.
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Im not so sure Carlitosway! Illinois is littered with former Democratic politicians serving time! Explain that will ya?
Sep 11, 2012 at 12:33 p.m.
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$350k....really? HA! Wow... someone got took.
Sep 11, 2012 at 9:49 a.m.
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It's nice to see an elected official that looks for ways of saving money. Sheriff Spoden seems to be a step ahead of other counties on this one. My guess is that as other counties install these type of systems, there will be a monetary investment before any installation occurs. The question I have is, why aren't the libs complaining that the individuals wanting to use this need to show ID. Seems invasive and discriminating if you ask me.......
Sep 11, 2012 at 9:08 a.m.
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If it is anything like the old system for commisary, it will allow an inmates numerous "babys mamas" to use their welfare cards to deposit money on them...perfect use for taxpayers money...Rather than buying food, and clothes for their kids, inmates will now have access to honey buns, phone calls, video peep shows (this will happen)email access, and video games....a perfect use for taxpayer money. Of course, the county gets their cut on this.
Sep 11, 2012 at 8:53 a.m.
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Perhaps I read this too fast. So they can have unlimited contact with visitors other than at lockdown? Ahh. This is jail is it not?
Sep 11, 2012 at 8:35 a.m.
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frogger how did you smuggle them in? FYI for your info that is done by the work release candidates. George that would be the other party as to your comment on criminals, The liars/John Doe"s etc etc
Sep 11, 2012 at 3:11 a.m.
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It seems like a much safer way to handle "visitations". But don't talk to me about video games and the like. It is jail.
Sep 10, 2012 at 8:06 p.m.
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In Rock County it is $4 for a 15 minute local telephone call, with one free minute phone call per telephone number. Now, with this new system, inmates won't get caught up when they have two diffrent significant others trying to visit...
Sep 10, 2012 at 8:01 p.m.
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This kind of makes me uneasy.
Sep 10, 2012 at 7:58 p.m.
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frogger: Same as before, they don't care if you smoke in jail, they just want you to shove them first.
Sep 10, 2012 at 7:09 p.m.
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how do you smuggle cigs in then?
Sep 10, 2012 at 6:33 p.m.
Sep 10, 2012 at 5:11 p.m.
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People in Oregon are talking about Telmate being .16/minute, or $4.8/hour. They are allowed a free 5 minute call. Most seem excited about it. That was last June.
http://www.prisontalk.com/forums/archive...
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