Two Texas Counties Not Allowed to Skip In-Person Jail Visits

AUSTIN (AP) — Two Texas counties that installed video technology for inmate visits will not be allowed to skip in-person visits now required by law. The Dallas Morning News reported Thursday that Wood and Hays counties were denied an exemption. The Texas Commission on Jail Standards determined both counties did not incur a “significant” expense to install their video jail-visit systems. The law that took effect this month requires all Texas counties to provide two 20-minute in-person jail visitation periods each week. But an amendment lets counties seek exemptions from the requirement if they’ve invested significant money on video-only visits. Commission officials declined requests to exempt Wood and Hays counties since they had not incurred “significant expense” in setting up video systems. The vendor did not charge either county for equipment or installation.