If someone you love is locked up in New Hampshire, video can spare you a drive up north, but how it works depends on which kind of facility they're in. So the first thing to nail down is whether your person is in a state prison, a county jail, or immigration custody, because that determines the vendor, the cost, and the rules.
New Hampshire splits custody three ways. The state prison system (NHDOC, the New Hampshire Department of Corrections) runs three prisons: the men's prison in Concord, the Northern New Hampshire Correctional Facility in Berlin, and the women's prison in Goffstown. County jails (called county departments of corrections or houses of correction) handle people awaiting trial and serving shorter sentences. And federal and immigration custody play by their own rules, with one federal prison in the state, FCI Berlin, which has also become a significant immigration-detention site. Figure out which bucket your person is in first, because everything else flows from that.
Do New Hampshire state prisons offer video visitation?
Yes. NHDOC offers video visits through GTL VisitMe (the company is GTL, now operating as ViaPath, also branded ConnectNetwork). You register and schedule on the GTL VisitMe site, and the state uses the same vendor for messaging, tablets, and phone service, so a single account often covers several of these.
In-person visiting is the backbone of the state system. Visiting is treated as a privilege, and each incarcerated person is allowed two visits per week (visits from attorneys, clergy, and other "official" visitors don't count against that). You must be an approved visitor first: the incarcerated person requests that you be added to their list, you fill out a visitor application and send it directly to them, and you go through a criminal background check. There's no cap on how many family members can be on the list. Visitors under 18 must be accompanied by an approved adult on the list.
One New Hampshire-specific rule to know: if the incarcerated person has a history of crimes against children, visits involving minors may be denied or restricted, and the adult bringing a child may be required to complete the NHDOC's "Safeguard Training," which is offered virtually on set dates. It's a child-protection step, not a general requirement for every visitor.
To get on the approved visitor list, have your person request your addition, complete the correct application (there are separate forms for adults, children, and DCYF child escorts), send it directly to the incarcerated person, and wait for the background check and approval before scheduling anything.
County and city jails
New Hampshire's county jails are run by the counties, and each picks its own vendor, so cost and platform vary. (Note that New Hampshire's cities, including Manchester, the largest, don't run their own long-term jails; people arrested there go to the county facility, in Manchester's case Hillsborough County.)
In practice, several New Hampshire counties run their video visits through Securus, and some have moved to at-home video as the main or only option. Rockingham County (Brentwood) and Sullivan County, for example, use Securus for at-home video visits, and Sullivan has gone to at-home video only. Other counties use their own authorized vendors. Some counties have also stopped accepting physical personal mail and moved it to electronic messaging through their vendor, Rockingham, for instance, routes personal mail through Securus e-messaging rather than the U.S. mail. The only way to be sure of any county's setup is to check that 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 county to a different vendor (or into the state system, which uses GTL/ViaPath), your funds and account don't follow. You set up fresh with the new vendor.
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. (Some New Hampshire counties have dropped onsite visits in favor of at-home video, so don't assume the free lobby option exists, check.)
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.
New Hampshire 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 system you're dealing with:
1. Find the system for that exact facility. For the state, that's GTL VisitMe (ViaPath). For a county jail, check the county's corrections page for the vendor (often Securus). Don't guess.
2. Create the right 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 the state ID or booking number, and for the state you must be approved on the visiting list first.
4. Schedule your visit, choosing onsite (where offered) or remote, and pay for any paid remote session. Mind the advance-scheduling window.
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, New Hampshire's one BOP institution is FCI Berlin, a medium-security prison for men with an adjacent minimum-security camp, up in Coos County in the far north of the state, well over 100 miles from Concord. 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, often held in a county jail under contract.
Immigration custody is a major and fast-changing story in New Hampshire, and it centers on two places. The Strafford County jail in Dover has long been the state's primary county ICE-detention site, holding people awaiting immigration hearings and transfers; its ICE population has grown substantially, and the contract has become the subject of active local political debate. Separately, and more recently, the federal prison FCI Berlin has been used to hold ICE detainees as well, with the detained immigration population there growing into the hundreds. Both sites are far north and remote, and attorneys, advocates, and judges have raised significant concerns about legal access, long-distance transfers (including people moved in from elsewhere in New England), and the use of a medium-security prison to hold people facing civil, not criminal, immigration matters. There is ongoing litigation tied to these transfers and detentions. Because the situation is changing quickly and people are frequently moved, confirm where your person actually is before making any 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. Each facility sets its own visiting and video rules, so confirm directly, 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 New Hampshire, where a prison or detention site can be way up north, hours from where families live, that face time matters even more.
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. (Just check first, since some New Hampshire county jails now take personal mail only as electronic messages through their vendor rather than paper.) 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/new-hampshire
FCC 2026 call and video rate caps guide
Arrest Record Search (affiliate)
Frequently asked questions
Do New Hampshire state prisons offer video visits?
Yes. NHDOC offers video visits through GTL VisitMe (GTL, now ViaPath). You register and schedule online, and the same vendor handles messaging, tablets, and phone service.
What vendor does the New Hampshire DOC use?
GTL, now operating as ViaPath (also branded ConnectNetwork), through GTL VisitMe. It covers video visits, messaging, tablets, and phone service for the state prisons.
Is in-person visiting still allowed in New Hampshire?
Yes, and it's central. Each person is allowed two visits a week (attorney and clergy visits don't count). You must be an approved visitor on their list first.
How do I get on the approved visitor list?
The incarcerated person requests your addition. You complete a visitor application, send it directly to them, and pass a criminal background check. There's no cap on family members.
What is NHDOC Safeguard Training?
A child-protection step. If a person has a history of crimes against children, an adult bringing a minor to visit may be required to complete this training, offered virtually on set dates.
What vendor do New Hampshire county jails use?
It varies by county. Several use Securus for at-home video (Rockingham and Sullivan, for example). Others use their own vendors. Always confirm on the specific county's corrections page.
Are county jail video visits free in New Hampshire?
Sometimes onsite video at the jail is free, but some New Hampshire counties have moved to paid at-home video only and dropped the free lobby option. Check 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 NHDOC inmate locator for state custody and the county corrections office (or VINELink) for local jails. For federal, use the BOP locator. Confirm before scheduling.
Is there a federal prison in New Hampshire?
Yes, one: FCI Berlin, a medium-security men's prison with a minimum-security camp, in Coos County in the far north. Use the BOP inmate locator.
Where are ICE detainees held in New Hampshire?
Primarily the Strafford County jail in Dover (the longtime county ICE site) and, more recently, the federal prison FCI Berlin, where the ICE population has grown into the hundreds.
Why is FCI Berlin holding ICE detainees?
The federal government has used the Berlin prison to hold immigration detainees amid expanded ICE detention. Its remote location has drawn concerns over legal access and long-distance transfers.
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 moved quickly.
Is video the only way to see an inmate?
No. State prisons offer in-person plus video, though some county jails have moved to at-home video only. Federal and ICE custody have their own, often limited, rules.
What do I need to set up a video visit?
For the state: approval on the visiting list and a GTL VisitMe account with a device and internet. For a jail: the vendor account, the inmate's name and ID, and a tested device. ====================================================================
Discovery Offer - Silos 1-2
Search arrest records and find out where they are
If you're trying to locate someone who was arrested or find out where they are being held, TruthFinder searches arrest records, court records, and custody status across all 50 states.