Cape May County Jail launches Internet visitation service

Inmates at Cape May County Jail can now see more family members during visits with the help of the prison’s new Internet video visitation system that will replace the traditional system in which inmates speak with visitors over the phone through a pane of glass.

It’s the first of its kind in the state.

Inmates will be allowed up to three visits per day using the system that requires family members to pay a contracted service provider $10 for each 20-minute session, as the Associated Press reports. The county will receive 46 percent of the company’s proceeds. Those who support the new service say it lets inmates see more than two family members at a time, and keep children away from the prison.

But the New Jersey ACLU tells the Press of Atlantic City the video visits, which are expected to save money and reduce security risks, are a poor substitute for in-person visits.

Feed the Feed: Share your thoughts on the new system and whether the old one should be eliminated.