The Honorable Ralph Northam
Governor of Virginia
1111 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23291

Dear Governor Northam:

I write to you today requesting that you address and correct an injustice by lifting an unwarranted burden for the families of those incarcerated. Specifically, I am calling on you to include in your budget, during your August 18th Special Session, a provision addressing the issue of fairness with respect to video visits of the incarcerated with their family members.

When a mother or father or a child or other family member engages in a video visit with an incarcerated relative, they are charged $8 for 20 minutes and up to $20 for 50 minutes, based on information received by Social Action Linking Together--SALT. In contrast, citizens of Virginia can video visit with family members (up to 100 members) via Zoom at no cost for 40 minutes or less; for visits of more than 40 minutes, a subscriber to Zoom can pay a monthly rate of $14.99, and include up to 100 participants in a meeting with the duration of up to 24 hours.

Those that are incarcerated should not have to be paying more for video visits than those not incarcerated in the state. The burden of an unwarranted cost for a video visit needs to be lifted for families already suffering because of the incarceration of a family member. This exorbitant cost for a video visit with family members needs to be addressed without delay; it clearly has nothing to do with the sentence received by one that is incarcerated. Loading innocent family members with an additional burden to bear has nothing to do with administering justice or setting things aright in society. This current practice should be considered as nothing more than an act of vengeance, an action that clearly and inappropriately punishes the innocent family members as well as those incarcerated.

Adding an additional financial burden (tax) on families that are likely among the most impoverished and vulnerable in Virginia is simply unconscionable, a violation of the basic principles of justice and an impediment to the strengthening of families and communities – it is not family-friendly in any way whatsoever. Telephone calls are not a luxury; instead, they are a necessary lifeline for people who are incarcerated, a medicine for maintaining their mental health. Research documents that maintaining relationships with loved ones is a strong indicator of success for one returning to his or her community after serving time.

This is an opportunity to do justice, to stop punishing and unjustifiably burdening innocent family members of the incarcerated.

Sincerely,

John Horejsi & SALT