Here at the VBSO, we know how important it is for you to keep in touch with your incarcerated loved ones.
Recently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) implemented new regulations to cap the cost of phone and video calls for incarcerated people and their families, reducing rates significantly. Effective this week, these changes aim to alleviate the financial burden on families attempting to stay in touch with loved ones in prisons and jails.
As a result of these changes in FCC requirements, ViaPath, the Virginia Beach jail’s phone/tablet provider, has made the necessary adjustments to comply with the new regulations and implemented changes to the inmates’ tablets and phone accounts.
Services are now categorized as two separate accounts: "regulated" (phone and video visits) and "non-regulated" (movies, games and messaging). This change requires friends and family to deposit funds into two separate accounts:
- Incarcerated Person Communication Account, to be used for phone and video visits; or
- Incarcerated Person Tablet Account, to be used for messaging and all other services available on the tablets.
Friends and family will see these new deposit options when logging in to their Getting Out account.
If you had a balance before May 1, all money has been moved to your Incarcerated Person Communication (video visit/phone) account.
The VBSO is not responsible for these changes. Any questions or issues should be directed to ViaPath customer service at 877-650-4249 or viapath.com .