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9 Fla. A & M U. L. Rev. 83 (2013-2014)
The Double-Edged Sword of Prison Video Visitation: Claiming to Keep Families Together While Furthering the Aims of the Prison Industrial Complex

handle is hein.journals/floramulr9 and id is 91 raw text is: THE DOUBLE EDGED SWORD OF PRISON VIDEO VISITATION: CLAIMING TO KEEP FAMILIES TOGETHER WHILE FURTHERING THE AIMS OF THE PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX Patrice A. Fulcher* ABSTRACT Each year, the United States (U.S. ) spends billions to house the country's massive prison population. The need to board over 2.3 million incarcerated human beings has U.S. correctional departments looking for ways to increase revenues and offset costs. According to these correc- tional agencies, one major expense is prison visitation. In order to reduce spending and alleviate safety concerns, U.S. federal, state, and private correctional facilities have turned to video visitation as an alter- native to in-person visits. The use of prison video visitation systems started in 1995. Since then, many private telecommunications companies have professed to have the solution to correctional visitation problems. These companies promote video visitation as a cheap, safe, and easy alternative to in- person visits, as well as a profitable means of generating revenues. Gov- ernment and private correctional institutions, buying into these endorsements, have reduced or completely eliminated face-to-face visits and installed video visitation systems within their walls. Under this structure, inmates use video stations in their cellblock to visit family and friends at corresponding video kiosks within the institution; or in- mates visit loved-ones who are at home or elsewhere outside prison walls via computer Internet video visitation. In order to sell this method of visitation to the public, U.S. cor- rectional agencies contend that video visitation helps to keep families * Associate Professor, Atlanta's John Marshall Law School. J.D., Emory University School of Law; B.A., Howard University. This article is dedicated to the millions of prisoners and their families who have become unwitting hostages in the Prison Industrial Complex. I would like to thank Vice Chancellor John Pierre for his continued support and mentorship. Many thanks to my research assistants Campbell Williamson and Hina Asghar for their outstanding research and assistance in preparation of this Article. I would also Like to thank my family, colleagues, and friends for their encouragement and support.

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