FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — The Allen County Jail in Fort Wayne no longer will have face-to-face visits with inmates and instead is offering video chats.
The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette reports the Allen County Sheriff's Department has installed an internet-based service that lets inmates meet with visitors in a set-up similar to Skype or FaceTime. Inmates will be issued computer tablets. Visitors register online and can video chat with inmates from anywhere with an internet connection.
Visitors who physically come to the jail and use the technology onsite may communicate for free. Visitors who access the technology offsite are charged.
The system has been in place since Feb. 18. The newspaper reports it's not clear how much the chats cost or if the jail receives a portion of the proceeds.
