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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
Time: 4:01 am
Time: 4:01 am
Results for in-person visit
1 results foundAuthor: Face to Face Knox Title: To What End?: Assessing the Impact of the Knox County Jail's Ban on In-Person Visits Summary: Since April 2014, the Knox County Sheriff's Office has banned in-person visits at all county jail facilities. In the place of in-person visits, the Sheriff promoted a new "video visitation" system, requiring jail visitors to interact with residents through a video kiosk located inside the facility. Friends and family could also contact residents through a remote video call, but they could do so at the cost of $5.95 (now $5.99) per visit, assuming they had the necessary technology. When the ban was initiated, the Sheriff's Office gave the following reasons for eliminating in-person visits: - Decreased visitation traffic—requires less staff - No contraband entering jail - Easier on visitors (dress codes, searches, etc.) - No travel to visits (for remote video calls) - Lessens impact on children - Benefits to disabled persons and elderly who cannot visit in person - Lessens chances for violence - The cost is $5.95 (in 2014), "less than two gallons of gasoline" The Sheriff did not present evidence at the time to explain the sudden shift in policy. Even three years later, when Face To Face Knox asked for empirical evidence to support these claims, the Sheriff's Office simply claimed that its policy was "innovative," suggesting no further evaluation was necessary. Because the Sheriff's Office refused to provide data, Face To Face Knox conducted an open records request, seeking answers to the following questions: - How many inmate-on-inmate assaults were recorded at the Knox County Detention Facility in the three years prior to the ban, and how many have were recorded in the time since the ban? - How many inmate-on-staff assaults were recorded at the Knox County Detention Facility in the three years prior to the ban, and how many have were recorded in the time since the ban? - How many possession of contraband cases were assessed at the Knox County Detention Facility in the three years prior to the ban, and how many were assessed in the time since the ban? - How many disciplinary infractions were assessed at the Knox County Detention Facility in the three years prior to the ban, and how many were assessed in the time since the ban? One explanation--both then and now--was conspicuously absent: the video call system makes money for the County, while in-person visits do not. Under the County's current contract with Securus Technologies, the County takes a 50% "commission" on every remote video call, which goes into the County's general revenue fund. Because Securus pays the full cost of installing and operating the system, there is no need for the county to charge an extra fee. Face To Face Knox requested invoices to determine exactly how much revenue the county generated from commissions on the video calls. Over more than three years, Knox County has taken nearly $70,000 from individuals trying to stay in touch with their friends and loved ones. The results are clear: The ban on in-person visits makes the jail more dangerous, does nothing to stop the flow of contraband, and strips money from the pockets of families. It's time to end the ban and give visitors the option to see their friends and loved ones face to face. Details: Knoxville, Tennessee: 2018. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 16, 2019 at: https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/media/publications/To_What_End_Assessing_the_Impact_of_the_Know_County_Jails_Ban_on_In-Person_Visits.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/publications/to-what-end-assessing-the-impact-of-the-know-county-jails-ban-on-in-person-visits/ Shelf Number: 154188 Keywords: County Jail Disciplinary InfractionsIn-Person VisitInmate-on-Inmate AssaultInmate-on-Staff AssaultJailKnox County Detention Facility |