If someone you love is locked up in New York, video visiting works differently here than in almost any other state, so it's worth understanding before you assume it works like you've seen elsewhere. The first thing to nail down is whether your person is in a state prison, a New York City jail, a county jail, or immigration custody, because each one is a different system with different rules.
New York splits custody several ways. The state prison system (DOCCS, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision) runs the upstate prisons. New York City runs its own jail system (Rikers Island and the borough facilities) through the NYC Department of Correction. County jails outside the city are run by sheriffs. And federal and immigration custody play by their own rules, with several federal facilities in the state and a major ICE detention center upstate. Figure out which bucket your person is in first, because everything else flows from that.
Do New York state prisons offer video visitation?
Here's the part that surprises people: New York's state prison system is built around in-person visiting, and DOCCS does not run a standard paid commercial family video-visit service the way most state systems now do. The tablets that incarcerated people have (through a secure vendor) are for messaging, music, e-books, and the like, not open family video calls, and they don't have internet access.
What New York does have instead is genuinely distinctive and free: video visiting through nonprofit and public-library partners. The best-known is TeleStory, run through the New York City public library systems (Brooklyn, Queens, and the New York Public Library serving the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island), which offers free, roughly hour-long video visits to a number of DOCCS facilities from a library branch, with books and toys on hand for kids. The Osborne Association runs a similar free video-visiting program from community sites in New York City, Newburgh, and Buffalo. These are designed to supplement in-person visits, especially for families who can't make the long trip upstate, not replace them.
In-person visiting is the heart of the DOCCS system. The incarcerated person must place you on their approved visitor list, and you'll need a government photo ID and to clear security (DOCCS uses metal detectors and canine screening). Schedules vary by facility, are concentrated on weekends with some midweek days, and some prisons use special schedules (for example, certain facilities set visiting days by the last digit or first letter of the person's identifying number or name). DOCCS also runs Visitor Hospitality Centers at many prisons, places to wait, use a restroom, change a baby, and store belongings before going in.
To get on the approved visitor list, the incarcerated person initiates it by adding you; then follow the specific facility's process. Always check that facility's current visitation page before traveling, since DOCCS updates schedules frequently and can pause visits during lockdowns.
New York City jails (Rikers Island)
If your person is in a New York City jail, you're dealing with the NYC Department of Correction, not the state. The city runs free video visits it calls "Televisits": you submit an online Televisit request form, pick from available dates (generally only for the upcoming week), and wait for a confirmation email, the visit isn't booked until you get that confirmation. Televisit days follow the same last-name-based schedule the city uses for in-person visits, so check which day applies to your person. In-person visiting at Rikers and the borough facilities is also available, with registration at the visit control building and limits on how many people (and children) can come at once. The city's tablets and phones run through Securus, and notably, NYC provides free phone calls from those tablets.
County jails
Outside New York City, county jails are run by sheriffs, and each picks its own vendor, so cost and platform vary.
You'll see a mix. The Monroe County Jail (Rochester) uses GettingOut (ViaPath) for video; the Erie County Holding Center (Buffalo) uses ICSolutions ("The Visitor"); others use Securus or another provider. Some counties keep onsite lobby video free while charging for at-home sessions. 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 GettingOut jail to an ICSolutions or Securus jail (or into the state or city systems), 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, you typically prepay into a vendor account, and you usually reserve a slot in advance.
New York 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 depend on which system you're dealing with:
1. Find the system for that exact facility. For a state prison, look into TeleStory or Osborne (free, via library/community sites), not a commercial app. For a NYC jail, use the city's Televisit request form. For a county jail, check the sheriff's site for the vendor (GettingOut, ICSolutions, or Securus). Don't guess.
2. Create the right account or submit the right request, 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 DIN (state), book-and-case number (NYC), or booking number (county), and you generally must be on the approved list first.
4. Schedule your visit, choosing onsite or remote where that applies, and pay for any paid remote county session.
5. Test your device and arrive or log in early. Give yourself about 15 minutes (more for in-person security screening). Check your camera, microphone, speakers, and internet. A failed connection on your end usually still burns the slot.
Federal and immigration custody
If your person is in federal Bureau of Prisons custody, New York has several BOP facilities, including the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) Brooklyn and the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Manhattan (both administrative detention facilities used heavily for people with cases in the New York federal courts), plus FCI Otisville and FCI Ray Brook upstate. 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 New York centers on a couple of places, and the picture has been shifting. The main standalone ICE facility is the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia (between Buffalo and Rochester), operated for ICE by a private contractor, which holds immigration detainees from across the region. In addition, and more recently, federal Bureau of Prisons facilities in the state, notably MDC Brooklyn, have been used to hold ICE detainees under an arrangement between the agencies, which has drawn significant legal and political scrutiny. Because people are frequently moved between facilities and sometimes out of state, 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 New York actually offers something rare here, free video visiting through the libraries and nonprofits, which is a real gift when the prison is hours upstate and the trip is hard to make. If you have kids, the TeleStory setup with books and toys at a library branch is worth looking into.
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-york
FCC 2026 call and video rate caps guide
Arrest Record Search (affiliate)
Frequently asked questions
Do New York state prisons offer video visits?
Not as a standard paid service. DOCCS is built around in-person visits, and tablets don't do open family video. Instead, free video visiting is offered through library and nonprofit programs like TeleStory and Osborne.
What is TeleStory and how does it work?
A free program run through New York City's public libraries offering roughly hour-long video visits to many DOCCS prisons from a library branch, with books and toys for kids. It supplements, not replaces, in-person visits.
Is in-person visiting still allowed in New York?
Yes, it's central to the state system. The incarcerated person must add you to their approved list. Schedules vary by facility and are mostly on weekends; check the facility page before traveling.
How do I get on the approved visitor list?
The incarcerated person initiates it by adding you to their list. Then follow the specific facility's process and bring a government photo ID. Check the current visitation page, as schedules change often.
How do NYC jails (Rikers) handle video visits?
The NYC Department of Correction runs free "Televisits." You submit an online request form, choose from the upcoming week's dates, and wait for a confirmation email. It follows the last-name visit schedule.
What vendor do New York county jails use?
It varies by county. Monroe County (Rochester) uses GettingOut, Erie County (Buffalo) uses ICSolutions, and others use Securus. Always confirm on the specific sheriff's site.
Are county jail video visits free in New York?
Sometimes onsite video at the jail is free, while at-home remote sessions are paid. It depends on the county and vendor, so check whether a free onsite option exists.
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 at county jails.
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 DOCCS incarcerated lookup for state prisons, the NYC DOC inmate lookup for city jails, and the county sheriff for local jails. For federal, use the BOP locator.
Are there federal prisons in New York?
Yes, several, including MDC Brooklyn and MCC Manhattan (administrative detention) and FCI Otisville and FCI Ray Brook upstate. Use the BOP inmate locator.
Where are ICE detainees held in New York?
Mainly the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia (a privately run ICE center) and, more recently, federal BOP facilities like MDC Brooklyn used to hold ICE detainees.
What is the Batavia ICE detention center?
The Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia, New York, the state's main standalone ICE detention center, holding immigration detainees from across the region.
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 emphasize in-person visits (with free library video as a supplement), NYC jails offer in-person plus Televisits, and county jails offer onsite or remote video. Federal and ICE custody have their own rules.
What do I need to set up a video visit?
For a state prison: contact TeleStory or Osborne and be on the approved list. For NYC: the Televisit request form. For a county jail: the vendor account, the person's name and ID, and a tested device. ====================================================================
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