TurnKey Corrections Set to Role Out New Video Visitation Enhancement at Stutsman County ND

HUDSON, Wis. - April 8, 2013 - PRLog -- For several years, Stutsman County Jail in Jamestown, ND sought to improve internal efficiency, reduce on-site visitation traffic and seek avenues to grow revenue that funds critical inmate programs.  After thorough research, Sheriff Chad Kaiser and Jail Administrator Tracey Trapp selected TurnKey Corrections last year to provide this service.  The impact has been extraordinary in both revenue gains and efficiency and now the facility is preparing to implement the next phase of TurnKey’s system, off-site video visitation.  All of this is done through TurnKey’s proprietary system that came at no cost to Stutsman County taxpayers.

The Stutsman County Jail provides a commissary program for inmates to purchase additional hygiene, food, and recreational items that are not provided by the facility. TurnKey Corrections was awarded this role through their state-of-the-art technology that includes kiosks located in the jail’s housing units. The TurnKey kiosks allow inmates to order commissary items with touch-screen equipment. Inmates view and make their selections on the kiosk. In addition, the kiosks feature technology to submit requests to staff members (to attend programs like AA, or request a nurse appointment) electronically. The features with these kiosks greatly reduce the paper-flow at the jail, and also reduce staff time spent manually processing commissary and inmate requests. The system which includes inmate accounting software, will allow staff to spend less time on commissary, and more time on jail operations.

The latest enhancements now free up even more time for jail staff. Friends and family can now visit from home for a rate of $0.35 per minute.  “This is significantly cheaper than what a citizen would pay in fuel to drive to and from the jail” noted Sheriff Kaiser.  “This also stops inmate movement to and from visitation areas which makes both the inmate and the facility more secure” added Sheriff Kaiser.  “Having off-site visitation at this rate affords family and friends the means to visit more frequently.  Constant contact with family and friends is a proven means to reduce repeat offenders.  We compared TurnKey to their competitors last year and the cost to the average citizen was a fraction of what their competitors charged.  This made TurnKey the easy choice.” noted Sheriff Kaiser.  “TurnKey has been a great partner to us and all of the facilities in North Dakota and their impact on our jail has been extraordinary.” Tracey Trapp, the long time administrator of the jail.  “And they also brought jobs to our community when they opened a satellite warehouse in Jamestown.  We enjoy the service team lead by Chelsie Erickson, provides and actively work with them to make their system better” he added.  

Off-site visitation is one of the most frequently discussed products on the market for jails today. TurnKey provides this service at an industry leading rate of $0.35 per minute. "Our competitors charge as much as 3x this amount" noted TurnKey President Patrick McMullan. "The public will not pay this. If jails want to provide better access to inmates while improving security given they dramatically reduce inmate movement, the public needs to have this service priced at a level that will drive this behavior; Our rates allow this" noted McMullan. McMullan added that off-site visitation has dropped on-site visitation traffic at jails for other clients as much as 70%. "Some sites have been so pleased with the effect that they have gone to a total off-site visitation solution".

All visits are monitored and recorded and can be terminated for inappropriate behavior.   "The key to off-site visitation, is it allows children to visit from a safe environment that they are comfortable with." noted TurnKey CEO Todd Westby.  "This is one of the most important aspects of what we do: Provide jails with as many tools as possible to not only help grow revenues and control expenses, but to make a real impact on helping jails with tools that help return inmates to being citizens."  

In addition, the system offers an easy solution for friends and family to provide commissary and communication funds to their inmate. Loved ones now have the ability to deposit funds on inmate accounts and not have to travel to the jail. The public can use VISA, American Express or MasterCard through smart-phones or the internet to deposit funds. Inmates get immediate access to these funds to use for anything from phone cards for calling family to buying hygiene items or snacks. In addition, there is an electronic kiosk in the lobby area of the jail that will accept cash as well as credit cards.

TurnKey also has provided the county with additional services such as access to an automated law library, automation of many federal requirements for PREA (Prison Rape Elimination Act), inmate e-mail, music and move services.  These services all come at no cost to the facility and put them at the front of technology advances available to jails.  

About TurnKey Corrections:  TurnKey Corrections provides superior technology for accounting software to manage inmate accounts, manage commissary transactions, and inmate communications. TurnKey Corrections has been a leader in the correctional commissary market for more than 10 years. TurnKey services over clients in over 15 states. TurnKey owns all aspects of its' technology, fulfillment, kiosk manufacturing, customer service and more.  All systems are copyrighted, patented and proprietary.  Learn more by calling them at 612.267.8277, visiting their website, www.TurnKeyCorrections.com, follow them on LinkedIn, Twitter (@TKCKiosk), or like their Facebook page, www.facebook.com/TurnKeyCorrections.