Oakland County Jail, MI Video Visitation

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Oakland County Jail

Address:
1201 North Telegraph
Pontiac, MI 48341
Phone:
248-858-1800

Frequently Asked Questions

Schedule a Video Visit with an Inmate at the Oakland County Jail - Remotely or at the Jail

The Oakland County Jail believes in the importance of their inmates having an opportunity to have visits from family and friends. When an inmate is released he or she needs to return home, and closeness to their family is one of the strongest reasons that keeps them from getting in trouble again.

One way that Oakland County Jail is able to accomplish this is with Smart Communications remote video visitation. Remote visiting allows loved ones to use their phone or computer to connect directly with their inmate via a video kiosk in the jail or using tablets, all in a joint effort between the facility and Smart Communications.

The benefits of video visitation are:

It keeps inmates happy.
Allows the inmates to stay in touch with friends, family and children.
It saves on staff time, thus money.
Allows the jail to partake in a revenue share.
Keeps viruses from spreading.
Keeps contraband from entering the facility.

For more information on Smart Communications video visits and video messages, call the facility at 248-858-1800 or scroll down for a complete section of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers.

Remote Video Visitation with an Inmate

Oakland County Jail uses Smart Communications for Remote Video Visitation between inmates and their loved ones.

How Video Visitation Works
SmartJailMail.com provides a two-way, real-time video visitation system which can be used to speak to your loved ones directly in their housing location within the jail.
At some locations you may also use a lobby kiosk at the facility to visit for free when scheduling a local / on-site visit.
Remote visits from home cost 50 cents per minute and are scheduled in 15 or 30 minute increments.
To schedule a video visit you must first open a Smart Communications account.

Remote Video Visits From Home
Once you are connected with an inmate you can use the visitation section of the website to schedule a visit.
Remote visits from home are billed on a credits-per-minute model and are scheduled in 15 or 30 minute blocks.

Local / On-Site Video Visits
Once you are connected with an inmate at a location where you have a visitation kiosk in the lobby, you may use the visitation section of the website to schedule a visit.
Local / on-site visits are provided free of charge.

This link explains everything you need to know about Smart Communications Video Visitation.

All Oakland County Jail visits take place using the Smart Communications Inmate Visitation System.

Oakland County Jail Inmate Video Visitation Schedule, Procedures & Guidelines

1201 North Telegraph
Pontiac, MI 48341
248-858-1800

Questions?... Call the Customer Support Line: 888-843-1972

First, create an account with Smart Communications and request your inmate accept you as an approved visitor so you can schedule a visit.
The Visitation Schedule below, is the same for visits at-the-jail, or remotely from your home.
All visits are done using this video visitation system. You can either use the jail kiosk or visit from home using your own device.
Each inmate is allowed one (1) free visit and one (1) paid visit per week.
Visits can be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance and can be scheduled up to two weeks prior.
Visits can be either 15 minutes or 30 minutes long.
There is no cost to visit on-site (at the jail facility).
Off-site visits may be done from a computer or cell phone for a fee of 0.16 (16 credits) per minute.
One adult visitor and one child visitor are allowed. The visitor must be the adult who scheduled the visit and (if there are multiple children in the family) only ONE child at a time per visit.
Children CANNOT be left unattended in the waiting area.
Visitors must have a current valid driver's license, state ID or passport in order to visit.

DAY	TIMES
MONDAY	NO VISITS
TUESDAY	NO VISITS
WEDNESDAY	1:15 PM to 8:15 PM
THURSDAY	1:15 PM to 8:15 PM
FRIDAY	1:15 PM to 8:15 PM
SATURDAY	9:15 AM to 4:15 PM
SUNDAY	9:15 AM to 4:15 PM

Professional Visits (Lawyers, Law Enforcement, etc.) can visit every day, both on-site and remote, from 7:15 AM to 8:45 PM.

Frequently Asked Questions about Remote Video Visits

What is a video visit, and how do they work?

Who are the companies that facilitate video visits?

What is a video visit, and how do they work?

Video visitation, also known as remote visitation, is quickly becoming the preferred method for visiting an inmate in jail or prison for the following reasons:

•   It requires little to no staff, versus the staff required to move inmates to and from the visit and watch over the visit. It saves the Oakland County Jail money.
•   It removes any opportunity for contraband (drugs) to enter the facility.
•   It can become a profit center for the facility, given that the revenue generated by visits is shared with the jail.
•   While inmates prefer to see family and friends in person, video visitation allows them to visit with them more often, and on a whim.
•   Video visitation gives the inmates and their visitors the feeling of more privacy.

Video visitation from the perspective of the visitor allows them to visit from their home, their car, at work, and even allows them to take their device to a family or religious gathering. It allows them to give their inmate the feeling of belonging and not being forgotten.

Video visitation can take place on a computer, a tablet or a phone.

Video visitation saves time. Instead of spending hours driving to the jail, checking in, filling out paperwork, potentially being searched, waiting, and then having a 15–30-minute visit, if it isn’t cancelled at the last minute, the visit can be done from anywhere during a short break in the visitor’s day.

If the visitor does not have access to a phone or computer, they can make an appointment ahead of time and use terminals in the lobby of the jail.

You must also be on the inmate's approved list, even for a video visit.