If someone you love is locked up in West Virginia, video can save you a long drive through the mountains, but how it works depends on which kind of custody they're in. West Virginia is set up a little differently from most states, which actually makes one part simpler.
Here's the lay of the land. The West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) runs both the state prisons and the regional jails, so the state-level system is more unified than the usual county-by-county patchwork. The regional jails hold people awaiting trial or serving shorter sentences; the prisons hold people serving longer state sentences. Then federal and immigration custody play by their own rules, and West Virginia has a heavy federal-prison presence. So the first thing to figure out is whether your person is in a DCR facility (prison or regional jail), a federal prison, or immigration custody.
Does West Virginia offer prison video visitation?
Yes. The DCR offers video visits (and messaging) across its facilities, and because the same agency runs the prisons and the regional jails, the setup is fairly consistent statewide. The vendor is GettingOut (the ViaPath/Telmate platform), and visits are arranged through a GettingOut account online or in the app.
To set it up, you create a GettingOut account and fund it. There are two account types worth understanding. An inmate account puts money on the person's books, which they can spend on visits, calls, or messaging with anyone. A friends and family account gives you control: you fund and manage the communication, and the person can only connect with the number or people you've set up. You then validate your identity and phone number, choose the facility, find your person, and schedule the remote visit.
Be honest about cost going in. Tablet-based video and messaging in West Virginia are paid services, and the per-minute or per-session pricing is widely described as expensive, so check the current rate in GettingOut before you commit, and budget accordingly. Pricing changes (the FCC has been capping these rates through 2024 to 2026), so I won't print a number that will be stale by the time you read it, look it up in the app.
Tablets are central to staying in touch here. People in DCR custody are generally issued tablets, which is how video, messaging, calls, books, and other services are delivered.
In-person visiting is also offered, but the schedule and rules vary by facility, and a prison and a regional jail will run differently, so always check the specific facility's procedures and call ahead. You'll need to be on the approved visitor list and bring a government photo ID.
To get on the approved visitor list, follow the specific facility's visitor approval process (it differs between prisons and regional jails), then set up your GettingOut account to schedule video visits.
Who runs the jails, and what that means for you
In most states, every county sheriff picks a different video vendor, and families have to relearn the system each time someone is moved. West Virginia is different: the DCR operates the regional jail system statewide alongside the prisons. In practice, that means the video vendor (GettingOut) and the general process tend to be consistent whether your person is in a regional jail awaiting trial or in a state prison, which is genuinely easier on families. It also means that if your person moves from a regional jail to a prison within the DCR system, your GettingOut account generally carries over (still confirm the facility selection each time).
One note: West Virginia also holds some state inmates at an out-of-state contract facility. If you can't find your person at an in-state facility, that's worth asking the DCR about.
How video visitation usually works
There are two flavors, and the difference matters for your wallet.
Onsite (or "onsite video") means you go to the facility and use a video terminal there to talk to the person, who's on a screen inside. Onsite video is frequently free or low-cost, when a facility 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 prepay into your GettingOut account, and you usually reserve a slot in advance.
In West Virginia, because tablet video and messaging are the main channel and they're paid, the cost question is real. Look up the current rate before you commit, and remember 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 across DCR facilities:
1. Create a GettingOut account (online or in the app) and decide between an inmate account or a friends and family account.
2. Validate your identity and phone number, usually tied to a government photo ID.
3. Add your person and get on the approved list. You'll need their name and DCR/offender ID, and you must be approved by the facility.
4. Choose the facility, schedule your visit (onsite where offered, or remote), and fund the session.
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 slot.
Federal and immigration custody
West Virginia has a heavy Bureau of Prisons presence, more federal prisons than many larger states. The main facilities include the Hazelton Federal Correctional Complex in Bruceton Mills (Preston County), which includes USP Hazelton (high-security) and FCI Hazelton (medium-security, with a secure facility for women); FCI Beckley (medium, with a camp) near Beaver; FCI Gilmer (medium, with a camp) near Glenville; FCI McDowell (medium) in Welch; FPC Alderson (the historic minimum-security federal prison camp for women, the first federal women's prison in the country); and FPC Morgantown (minimum-security). 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 locator yet, they're likely still in U.S. Marshals custody during the designation period, often held in a regional jail under contract.
Immigration custody in West Virginia has been an active and legally contested area, so be careful with older information. West Virginia does not have a standalone, purpose-built ICE detention center; instead, ICE has held detainees inside the state-run regional jails (such as the South Central Regional Jail in Charleston, the Northern Regional Jail in Moundsville, and the Eastern Regional Jail in Martinsburg) under agreements with the DCR. This arrangement has drawn significant court attention: in early 2026, federal judges in West Virginia ordered the release of numerous detainees, and the DCR subsequently announced a temporary suspension of accepting new immigration detainees while the courts addressed the matter. Because this situation is changing quickly, confirm the current status before assuming where someone is held. 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. People in immigration custody are frequently transferred between facilities and states, so check often. Remember immigration bonds are handled through ICE, not posted at a jail.
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 a state where a facility can be a long drive over the mountains, a video visit can be the difference between regular contact and none.
But be honest with yourself about what carries the weight day to day, especially here, where the tablet services cost real money. 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, without letting the per-minute charges run away from you.
Related pages:
/prisons/west-virginia
FCC 2026 call and video rate caps guide
Arrest Record Search (affiliate)
Frequently asked questions
Does West Virginia offer prison video visits?
Yes. The Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) offers video visits and messaging across its facilities through GettingOut (the ViaPath/Telmate platform), arranged online or in the app once you set up and fund an account.
What vendor does the WV DCR use?
GettingOut, the ViaPath/Telmate platform, for video visits, messaging, and calls, delivered largely through tablets. You create a GettingOut account, validate your identity, pick the facility, and schedule.
Are video visits free in West Virginia?
No. Tablet-based video and messaging are paid, and the cost is widely described as steep. Pricing changes, so check the current per-minute or per-session rate in GettingOut before you commit, and budget for it.
Is in-person visiting still allowed in WV?
Yes, but the schedule and rules vary by facility, and prisons and regional jails run differently. You must be on the approved list and bring a government photo ID. Always check the specific facility and call ahead.
How do I get on the approved visitor list?
Follow the visitor approval process for the specific facility (it differs between prisons and regional jails), then set up your GettingOut account to schedule video visits. Bring valid government photo ID for in-person visits.
Who runs the jails in West Virginia?
The state Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation runs both the prisons and the regional jail system, so it's more unified than a county-by-county setup. That tends to keep the video vendor and process consistent statewide.
How do I send money to a WV inmate?
Through GettingOut. You can fund an inmate account (money on their books to spend) or a friends and family account (you control and fund the communication). Validate your identity and phone number when setting up.
What is onsite vs remote video visiting?
Onsite means you go to the facility and use a terminal there, often free where offered. Remote means you connect from your own device at home, which is paid through your GettingOut account.
Do vendor accounts transfer between jails?
Within West Virginia's DCR system the GettingOut account generally carries between regional jails and prisons (confirm the facility each time). But accounts do not transfer to a different vendor, such as a federal facility's system.
How do I find which facility someone is in?
Use the DCR offender search, which covers both state prisons and regional jails. For federal prisons, use the BOP inmate locator. For ICE custody, use the ICE Online Detainee Locator.
Are there federal prisons in West Virginia?
Yes, several. They include the Hazelton complex (USP Hazelton and FCI Hazelton) in Bruceton Mills, FCI Beckley, FCI Gilmer, FCI McDowell, FPC Alderson, and FPC Morgantown. Use the BOP inmate locator to find someone.
Where is FPC Alderson and who is held there?
FPC Alderson is a minimum-security federal prison camp for women in Alderson, West Virginia. Opened in 1927, it was the first federal prison for women in the United States. Use the BOP locator to confirm someone's location.
Where are ICE detainees held in West Virginia?
West Virginia has no standalone ICE detention center. ICE has held detainees in the state-run regional jails (such as South Central in Charleston, Northern in Moundsville, and Eastern in Martinsburg), though this has been the subject of recent court action. Confirm current status.
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 in immigration custody are frequently moved between facilities and states.
Is video the only way to see an inmate?
No. DCR facilities offer in-person visiting plus video and messaging through GettingOut. Federal prisons rely mainly on in-person visiting with limited video. Each system has its own rules, so confirm with the facility.
What do I need to set up a video visit?
A funded GettingOut account, your validated identity and phone number, the person's name and DCR/offender ID, approval from the facility, and a device with a camera and internet. Then pick the facility and schedule. ====================================================================