If someone you love is locked up in New Jersey, video can save you a trip across a crowded, traffic-heavy state, 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 Jersey splits custody three ways. The state prison system (NJDOC, the New Jersey Department of Corrections) runs the state's prisons and handles roughly 12,000 people. County jails (county departments of corrections) handle people awaiting trial and serving shorter sentences. And federal and immigration custody play by their own rules, with two federal prisons in the state and, increasingly, some of the largest immigration-detention facilities on the East Coast. Figure out which bucket your person is in first, because everything else flows from that.
A New Jersey advantage worth knowing up front: state law caps video-visitation rates at 11 cents per minute, for state prisons, county jails, and private facilities alike, with no extra service charges or fees allowed on top. So wherever your person is held in New Jersey, video should be cheaper here than in most states.
Do New Jersey state prisons offer video visitation?
Yes, but at a limited number of facilities. NJDOC offers video visits only at institutions that have the network capacity and vendor equipment, so the first step is checking whether your person's specific prison offers it (the facility's inmate handbook and the NJDOC "Staying Connected" page list availability). State video visits are typically 30 minutes, require registration, and must be scheduled at least three days in advance.
On the vendor: NJDOC is in the middle of a transition. Starting in 2025, the state began moving its tablet and communications services (video visits, messaging, phone) from JPay to ViaPath Technologies, with data migrating over several months. Depending on when you read this and which facility you're dealing with, you may encounter either system, so check the current NJDOC vendor page before setting up an account. Under the ViaPath contract, the state has said some tablet content (education, legal tools, reentry programming) is free, and phone and message costs were cut in 2025.
One important limit: NJDOC's own rules say video visits are monitored and recorded, and they should not be used by attorneys for confidential legal communication, those need to go through proper privileged channels.
In-person visiting remains central in the state system, and the vast majority of people in NJDOC custody are eligible for contact or non-contact window visits. You register and schedule through the NJDOC visitation scheduler, and approved visitors generally include spouses, parents, guardians, adult children, and approved friends. You'll need to pass screening and bring a government photo ID.
To get on the approved visitor list, work through the specific facility's process and the NJDOC scheduler before traveling, calendars and formats change, so confirm the facility page first.
County and city jails
New Jersey's county jails are run by the counties, and each picks its own vendor, so cost and platform vary, though the statewide 11-cent-per-minute cap applies to them too.
You'll see a mix of vendors. Some examples: the Atlantic County Justice Facility uses GettingOut (ViaPath) for family video; Cape May County uses Securus for remote web-based video; Passaic County runs video and scheduling through ConnectNetwork (GTL/ViaPath); and Essex County publishes its own video and window-visit instructions. Many county jails also require the incarcerated person to build an approved visitor list first (Middlesex County, for example, allows up to six visitors and only after the first seven days of custody). 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 ViaPath/GettingOut county (or into the state system), 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.
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 (in New Jersey, capped at 11 cents per minute), you typically prepay into a vendor account, and you usually reserve a slot in advance.
New Jersey jail video rates are capped at that 11-cent-per-minute ceiling, but exact pricing and session lengths still vary by facility and vendor, so 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. One thing to watch: New Jersey advocates have long worried about jails replacing free in-person visits with paid video, so check whether your jail still offers in-person or window visits too.
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 the current NJDOC vendor (JPay or ViaPath, depending on the transition). For a county jail, check the county's corrections page for the vendor (GettingOut/ViaPath, Securus, or ConnectNetwork). 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 you generally must be on the approved visiting list first.
4. Schedule your visit, choosing onsite (where offered) or remote, and pay for any paid remote session. Mind the lead time, the state requires booking at least three days ahead.
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 Jersey has two BOP institutions. FCI Fort Dix, on the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Burlington County, is a large low-security men's prison with a minimum-security camp (one of the bigger federal facilities in the country). FCI Fairton, in Cumberland County, is another federal institution. 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-moving story in New Jersey, which has become one of the most active immigration-detention states on the East Coast. Two large facilities anchor it, both near Newark Liberty airport and serving the wider New York metro region: Delaney Hall in Newark, a roughly 1,000-plus-bed facility operated by the private company GEO Group that reopened in 2025 under a large federal contract and is the largest immigration-detention center on the East Coast, and the Elizabeth Detention Center, operated by CoreCivic. County facilities such as the Essex County Correctional Facility have also held ICE detainees. This area is the subject of intense and ongoing legal and political activity: New Jersey passed a 2021 law (AB5207) seeking to bar immigration-detention contracts, but a federal appeals court struck that law down in 2025, and there is active litigation over Delaney Hall's operation and conditions, plus state initiatives to fund legal representation for detainees. 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 (in this region, the Newark Field Office), 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 New Jersey at least makes it more affordable than most places, that 11-cent cap is a real break compared to what families pay in other states.
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/new-jersey
FCC 2026 call and video rate caps guide
Arrest Record Search (affiliate)
Frequently asked questions
Do New Jersey state prisons offer video visits?
Yes, but only at facilities with the network capacity and equipment. Check your person's specific prison. State video visits run about 30 minutes and must be booked at least three days ahead.
What vendor does the New Jersey DOC use?
NJDOC is transitioning from JPay to ViaPath Technologies, starting in 2025, for video, messaging, and phone. Depending on the facility and timing, you may see either system, so check the current NJDOC page.
How much do New Jersey video visits cost?
New Jersey law caps video visitation at 11 cents per minute, statewide, with no added service fees, whether the person is in a state prison, county jail, or private facility.
Is in-person visiting still allowed in New Jersey?
Yes, and it's central. Most people in state custody are eligible for contact or window visits. You register through the NJDOC scheduler and must be an approved visitor first.
How do I get on the approved visitor list?
Work through the specific facility's process and the NJDOC visitation scheduler. Approved visitors generally include family and approved friends; you'll pass screening and show a government photo ID.
What vendor do New Jersey county jails use?
It varies. Atlantic County uses GettingOut (ViaPath), Cape May uses Securus, Passaic uses ConnectNetwork (GTL/ViaPath), and Essex posts its own. Always confirm on the specific county's page.
Are county jail video visits free in New Jersey?
Sometimes onsite video at the jail is free; remote video from home is paid (capped at 11 cents a minute in New Jersey). Check whether the jail still offers free onsite or in-person visits.
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 NJDOC offender search for state custody and the county corrections office (or VINELink) for local jails. For federal, use the BOP locator. Confirm before scheduling.
Are there federal prisons in New Jersey?
Yes, two: FCI Fort Dix (a large low-security men's prison with a camp, in Burlington County) and FCI Fairton (in Cumberland County). Use the BOP inmate locator.
Where are ICE detainees held in New Jersey?
Mainly at Delaney Hall in Newark (GEO Group) and the Elizabeth Detention Center (CoreCivic), both near Newark airport. Some county jails, like Essex County, have also held detainees.
What is Delaney Hall?
A roughly 1,000-plus-bed immigration detention center in Newark, operated by the private company GEO Group, reopened in 2025 and the largest such facility on the East Coast.
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 (where available), and most county jails offer onsite or window visits alongside remote video. Federal and ICE custody have their own rules.
What do I need to set up a video visit?
For the state: approval on the visiting list and an account with the current NJDOC vendor, plus a device and internet. For a jail: the vendor account, the inmate's name and ID, and a tested device. ====================================================================
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