If someone you love is locked up in Mississippi, the first thing to understand is that "video visitation" doesn't work the same way everywhere here. Some county jails lean heavily on video, the state prison system leans on in-person visits, and federal and immigration custody play by their own rules. So before you set anything up, figure out which kind of facility your person is in, because that determines the vendor, the cost, and whether video is even an option.
Mississippi splits custody three ways. The state prison system (Mississippi DOC, or MDOC) runs its major institutions: Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman, Central Mississippi Correctional Facility near Pearl, and South Mississippi Correctional Institution near Leakesville, plus regional and private-contract facilities. County jails, run by sheriffs, handle people awaiting trial and serving shorter sentences. And federal and immigration custody is significant here, with a large federal prison complex and one of the country's biggest ICE detention centers. Figure out which bucket your person is in first.
Do Mississippi state prisons offer video visitation?
This is the honest answer: Mississippi's state prison system is built around in-person visits, and unlike many states, MDOC does not heavily advertise a family video-visitation program at its facilities. Phone service for state prisons runs through ViaPath (formerly GTL). Whether a given facility offers scheduled family video visits, and through which vendor, isn't consistently posted, so don't assume video is available at a state prison until you confirm it with that specific facility. Call the institution (or MDOC) and ask directly.
What is well established is in-person visiting. Each incarcerated person keeps a visitation list of up to ten visitors, reviewed annually, with immediate family staying on permanently unless removed. General-population visits are typically on Saturdays or Sundays, with each housing unit assigned its own days, and visits often run a couple of hours. Maximum-security ("C" custody) visits are non-contact and limited. Note that during the initial Reception and Classification period, new arrivals generally don't receive visits at all.
To get on the approved visitor list, the incarcerated person requests an application from a case manager and sends it to you; you complete it, attach a copy of your driver's license, and mail it to the visitation coordinator at the facility where your person is housed. You won't necessarily be notified when you're approved, so call the facility to check your status. Keep your information (name, address, license) current, or you can be turned away at the gate.
County and city jails
This is where most day-to-day video visiting actually happens in Mississippi, and the vendor varies because each sheriff picks their own.
You'll see a real mix. Harrison County (Gulfport), for example, uses video visitation as its default for jail visits and runs phones through City Tele Coin. Adams County's detention side uses Securus. Across the state you'll also find ViaPath/ConnectNetwork, NCIC, ICSolutions, and Smart Communications at various jails. The only way to know is to check the specific jail's page or call.
The vendor is facility-specific, so the company that works for one county won't necessarily be the one next door. One warning that saves people money and grief: accounts do not transfer between vendors. If your person moves from a Securus jail to a City Tele Coin or ViaPath jail, your funds and account don't follow. You set up fresh with the new vendor.
One hard truth about jail video in Mississippi: some jails have made video the only option for friends and family, replacing in-person visits, and a few have left families with only paid, offsite video as the way to see someone. So check not just the vendor but whether onsite (often cheaper or free) visits exist at all.
How county jail video visitation usually works
There are two flavors, and the difference is the whole ballgame for your wallet.
Onsite (or "onsite video") means you drive to the jail and sit at a video terminal in the lobby to talk to the person, who's on a screen inside. Onsite video is frequently free or low-cost, when a jail offers it.
Remote video means you connect from your own phone, tablet, or computer at home. That convenience is what you pay for. Remote sessions are charged per session or per minute, you typically prepay into a vendor account, and you usually reserve a slot in advance.
Mississippi jail video rates shift around, partly because the FCC has been capping these rates through 2024 to 2026 and partly because every facility prices differently. I'm not going to print a per-minute number here, because by the time you read it, it'll be wrong. Look up the rate on your specific jail's vendor page before you pay. What's stable is the structure: onsite (where offered) is often free or cheaper, remote tends to cost, and there are usually advance-registration rules.
Setting up a video visit
The steps are roughly the same whichever vendor you're dealing with:
1. Find the exact facility first, then its vendor. Confirm whether your person is in a state prison, a county jail, or federal/ICE custody, then look up that facility's vendor. For a county jail, check the sheriff's site, since it could be Securus, City Tele Coin, ViaPath, or another system. Don't guess.
2. Create your account and verify your identity, usually with a government photo ID.
3. Add your inmate and get on the approved list. You'll need the correct name and MDOC or booking number, and the person generally must have you on their approved list.
4. Schedule your visit, choosing onsite or remote, and pay if it's a paid remote session. Many facilities require booking in advance.
5. Test your device and log in early. Get on about 15 minutes ahead. Check your camera, microphone, speakers, and internet. A failed connection on your end usually still burns the visit slot.
Federal and immigration custody
If your person is in federal Bureau of Prisons custody, Mississippi's federal prisons are concentrated at the Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) Yazoo City, about 36 miles north of Jackson, which includes a high-security penitentiary (USP Yazoo City) plus medium- and low-security institutions and a camp. The BOP runs primarily in-person visiting with only limited video, so use the BOP inmate locator to find the institution and check its specific visiting rules. If someone was recently arrested on a federal charge and isn't in the BOP locator yet, they're likely still in U.S. Marshals custody during the designation period.
Immigration custody in Mississippi is dominated by one very large facility, and it's worth understanding clearly. The Adams County Correctional Center near Natchez, operated by the private company CoreCivic under an agreement with ICE, holds more than 2,000 people and is one of the largest ICE detention centers in the country. (Don't confuse it with the separate, smaller Adams County Detention Center, the local county jail.) Visiting rules at ICE facilities are set by the federal government and tend to be tightly limited, and because these centers are privately run, their day-to-day operations are harder to see into. People are also transferred between ICE facilities and sometimes out of state, so confirm where your person actually is before making plans. To locate someone in ICE custody, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator, which needs the person's A-Number (the nine-digit alien registration number) or their name plus country of birth. Confirm visiting and video procedures directly with the facility, and remember immigration bonds are handled through ICE, not posted at the facility.
A note on staying connected
Video is good for one thing money can't really replace: seeing a face, watching a kid wave, reading an expression. And in Mississippi, where the big state prisons sit in remote spots like Parchman, hours from the cities most families live in, the drive alone can make in-person visits hard. Where video is offered, it can close some of that distance.
But be honest with yourself about what carries the weight day to day. Mail is the steadiest line there is. It doesn't drop the call, doesn't need a scheduled slot, and the person can hold it and read it again at 2 a.m. when the walls close in. Phone calls are the backbone of staying in touch, the thing you'll actually do most weeks. Video is the bonus on top, the face-to-face when you can get it. Build your routine around mail and calls, and treat video as the thing that makes the distance feel a little smaller.
Related pages:
/prisons/mississippi
FCC 2026 call and video rate caps guide
Arrest Record Search (affiliate)
Frequently asked questions
Do Mississippi state prisons offer video visits?
Not consistently. MDOC is built around in-person visits and doesn't broadly advertise family video at its prisons. Confirm with the specific facility before assuming video is an option.
Is in-person visiting still allowed in Mississippi?
Yes. State prisons center on in-person visits, usually weekends, with each housing unit assigned its days. New arrivals in Reception and Classification generally can't receive visits.
What vendor does the Mississippi DOC use?
ViaPath (formerly GTL) provides phone service for state prisons. A consistent statewide family video-visitation vendor isn't clearly posted, so confirm video options facility by facility.
How do I get on the approved visitor list?
The incarcerated person requests an application from a case manager and sends it to you. Complete it, attach a copy of your license, and mail it to the facility's visitation coordinator.
What vendor do Mississippi county jails use?
It varies by county. Harrison County uses video as its default (phones via City Tele Coin); Adams County's jail uses Securus. Others use ViaPath, NCIC, ICSolutions, or Smart Communications.
Are county jail video visits free in Mississippi?
Sometimes onsite video at the jail is free or cheaper. But some Mississippi jails offer only paid, offsite video. Check whether a free onsite option exists at the specific jail.
What is onsite vs remote video visiting?
Onsite means you go to the jail and use a terminal there, often free where offered. Remote means you connect from your own device at home, which typically costs money.
Do vendor accounts transfer between jails?
No. Accounts and funds don't move between vendors. If your person transfers to a facility using a different company, you set up a new account with that vendor.
How do I find which facility someone is in?
Use the MDOC inmate locator for state custody, the county sheriff's roster (or Mississippi VINE) for local jails, and the BOP locator for federal. Confirm before scheduling.
Are there federal prisons in Mississippi?
Yes. The main federal prisons are at FCC Yazoo City (a high-security penitentiary plus medium, low, and a camp), about 36 miles north of Jackson.
Where are ICE detainees held in Mississippi?
Primarily at the Adams County Correctional Center near Natchez, a large CoreCivic-run facility under contract with ICE, holding more than 2,000 people.
How do I find someone in ICE custody?
Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator. You'll need the person's A-Number, or their full name plus country of birth. Check often, since people are transferred frequently.
Can I visit an ICE detainee by video?
Confirm directly with the facility. ICE visiting rules are set federally and tend to be tightly limited, and procedures at private centers can change. Don't assume video is available.
Why are Mississippi prisons so far away?
The biggest state prisons sit in rural areas like Parchman (in the Delta) and Leakesville, often hours from where families live, which is part of why phone and mail matter so much.
Is video the only way to see an inmate?
It depends on the facility. State prisons emphasize in-person visits; some county jails have made video the only option for friends and family. Federal and ICE custody have their own limits.
What do I need to set up a video visit?
The correct facility and its vendor, a verified account, the inmate's name and MDOC or booking number, approval on the visitor list, and a tested device with good internet. ====================================================================
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