Video visitation coming to Marion County Jail

Staff photo by Allison Kwesell/Chattanooga Times Free Press - Ralph Layne laughs while talking with Michael Culp at the Marion County Jail. The two are part of the 19 arrested during a Marion county task force federal round up with arrests in Marion, Sequatchie, Grundy, and Hamilton Counties for manufacturing methamphetamine, conspiracy manufacturing methamphetamine and weapon charges. The 3-year investigation completed Thursday with the roundup.
Staff photo by Allison Kwesell/Chattanooga Times Free Press - Ralph Layne laughs while talking with Michael Culp at the Marion County Jail. The two are part of the 19 arrested during a Marion county task force federal round up with arrests in Marion, Sequatchie, Grundy, and Hamilton Counties for manufacturing methamphetamine, conspiracy manufacturing methamphetamine and weapon charges. The 3-year investigation completed Thursday with the roundup.

JASPER, Tenn. - Video visitation is coming to the Marion County Jail.

photo Ronnie "Bo" Burnett

Marion Sheriff Ronnie "Bo" Burnett said the technology has been growing in popularity in recent years, and he has worked out a deal with Securus Technologies in Dallas to bring it to the county jail.

The main reason for the change is employee safety, he said.

"Saturdays and Sundays we move inmates all day for visitation," Burnett said. "The jail is in the back and the visitation room is [in the front], and that's a danger to my employees having to restrict all that."

Hamilton County installed the same system about eight months ago.

"They tell me it's working great," Burnett said.

County Attorney Billy Gouger said Marion has an existing contract with Securus to run the inmates' phone system.

"This is an extension of and amendment to that existing contract," he said. "We have a good relationship with this company, and it's worked well for five years."

The Marion County Commission unanimously voted this week to approve the five-year contract extension with Securus.

According to the contract, Securus will pay an upfront cost of about $113,000 to install the needed equipment, and Burnett indicated he has no intention of paying any money for the system.

"I'll provide the product, and they'll make the money," Burnett said.

Each of the jail's pods will have one monitor, and the company will install three monitors in the jail's lobby.

Part of the agreement includes an off-site visitation option.

Burnett said that way someone living in Michigan, for example, won't have to trek to Tennessee to visit someone they know in the Marion jail.

" If they have internet access, they can visit from their home in Michigan," he said.

The off-site visitation costs $20 for 20 minutes or $40 for 40 minutes.

"That's where the company is going to make their money," Burnett said.

The county sheriff's department gets 20 percent of those fees.

"I think the sheriff has got a good idea to stop some of the unnecessary transfer of prisoners stuff," County Mayor David Jackson said. "It's a danger to his employees like he said."

Ryan Lewis is based in Marion County. Contact him at ryanlewis34@gmail.com.

Burnett said he thinks the video monitors will be safe with the inmates because the existing ones.

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