SPOKE ARTICLE - Video Visitation series - ALABAMA

Target URL: /information/video-visitation-in-alabama (confirm path with Selva)

Links up to: /prisons/alabama (state hub)

Editorial: no em dashes, plain former-insider voice, FAQ headings under 60 chars, NO hardcoded per-minute prices in body

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ARTICLE BODY

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Inmate Video Visitation in Alabama

If you are trying to see someone who is locked up in Alabama, the good news is that video visitation is widely available here, in both the state prison system and most county jails. That sets Alabama apart from some states where video is a jail-only thing. But how it works, what it costs, and whether you can still visit in person all depend on which system is holding your person.

Alabama runs on three separate systems for visiting: the state prison system run by the Alabama Department of Corrections, the county and city jails run by sheriffs, and the federal system run by the Bureau of Prisons. Each handles video differently. This guide walks through all three, tells you which facilities actually offer video, and shows you how to set it up without wasting money.

Do Alabama state prisons offer video visitation?

Yes. The Alabama Department of Corrections, or ADOC, offers video visitation at its state prisons as a supplement to in-person visiting, not a replacement for it. ADOC added video kiosks across its institutions, and you schedule a video session by appointment, much like you would an in-person visit. This is different from some states, where state prisons do in-person only.

So if your loved one is serving a state prison sentence in Alabama, you generally have two options: an in-person visit, which ADOC schedules mostly on weekends and some holidays, or a video visit by appointment. Both require you to be on the inmate's approved visitor list first, which means submitting your information and clearing a background screening. New inmates typically wait about 60 days before regular visitation begins, and the approved visitor list can usually be updated twice a year. The video service runs through the Department's contracted vendor, Securus. Because the days, hours, and video availability differ from prison to prison, the specific facility's page is where you confirm what is offered.

County and city jails

This is where video visitation in Alabama is most common, and where it most often replaces in-person visiting entirely. Many Alabama county jails have moved to video as the primary or only way to see someone, so this is the single most important thing to check before you plan a visit: at a lot of jails, showing up in person to sit across from your person is no longer an option.

A few examples of how this looks around the state. Jefferson County, which runs jails in Birmingham and Bessemer, uses the GettingOut system (ViaPath) for both onsite and remote video, with free onsite sessions. Mobile County's Metro Jail does all visits by video, onsite or remote, and gives each inmate one free onsite visit per week. Montgomery County uses The Visitor system from ICSolutions, letting you visit onsite at the jail or remotely from home. Smaller counties like Tallapoosa offer both remote video and free visits at a jail lobby kiosk. Your county may run things differently, so the facility's own page is always the place to confirm.

How county jail video visitation usually works

There are two formats, and the difference matters for your wallet.

Onsite video is when you travel to the jail and use a kiosk in the lobby or visitation area to talk to the person, who stays in their housing unit. You are on a screen rather than face to face, but onsite sessions are very often free. You usually still have to schedule them in advance, and many jails give a set number of free onsite visits per week.

Remote video is when you connect from home using a smartphone, tablet, or computer, through the jail's vendor app or website. This is the convenient option, and it is the one that usually costs money, charged either per minute or as a flat fee per session. Remote sessions also have to be scheduled ahead of time, typically at least 24 hours in advance.

Because the price depends entirely on the vendor and the specific jail, this guide does not quote rates. Federal rules that took effect through 2024 to 2026 pushed video visitation costs down at many facilities, so the current price is whatever your jail's vendor lists at the time you book. Always check the rate on the facility's page or in the vendor app before you pay.

Setting up a video visit

The steps are similar from jail to jail, even though the vendor changes:

First, find out which vendor your jail uses. Common ones in Alabama include GettingOut (ViaPath), ICSolutions (branded as The Visitor), Securus, and HomeWAV. The jail's page lists the one it uses. Do not create an account with the wrong vendor, because they do not transfer.

Second, create an account with that vendor and verify your identity. You will need a valid government photo ID.

Third, add your incarcerated person to your account using their full name and booking or AIS number, and make sure you are on their approved visitor list. Most jails require you to be approved before you can schedule anything.

Fourth, schedule a session, choosing onsite or remote, pick an open time slot, and pay for the session if it is a paid remote visit. Save the confirmation.

Fifth, for a remote visit, test your device, camera, and internet ahead of time, and log in a few minutes early. If the technology fails on the jail's end, ask the vendor about a credit or refund.

Federal and immigration custody

If your person is in federal prison in Alabama, that is the Bureau of Prisons, which runs its own visitation system. Alabama has three federal facilities: FCI Aliceville (a low-security women's prison with a camp), FCI Talladega (medium security with a camp), and FPC Montgomery (a minimum-security camp). The BOP uses primarily in-person visiting, with video offered in limited circumstances, such as when in-person visits are suspended. You arrange it through the specific federal facility, not through any county or state vendor.

If your person is in immigration custody, the facility holding them handles visitation under its own rules, which may include video. In all of these cases, find the specific facility on InmateAid and follow the instructions on its page.

A note on staying connected

Video visits are one piece of staying in touch, and they are not the cheapest or most reliable one. Mail still reaches almost everyone in custody, it is the steadiest form of contact, and a person who hears from home regularly does easier time. Phone calls are the other backbone. Many families use a mix: mail as the constant, calls for regular contact, and video visits when they want to actually see each other's faces. To set any of this up for the specific facility holding your loved one, find that facility on InmateAid and follow the instructions on its page, since the vendor, the rules, and the costs are different at every facility.

[Internal link block to render at foot of article:]

- See every prison, jail, and detention center in Alabama: /prisons/alabama

- Understand the new 2026 call and video rates: link to FCC Prison Phone Rate Caps 2026 guide

- Search arrest records across Alabama: Arrest Record Search (honestly labeled affiliate)

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