Douglas County Jail Remote Inmate Video Visits

Douglas County Jail

Address:
509 3rd Avenue West
Alexandria, MN 56308

Phone:

320-762-2139

Remote Video Visitation at Douglas County Jail

Douglas County Jail uses the services of Inmate Canteen for Remote Video Visitation with Inmates.

For best results use Google Chrome as your browser for accessing Inmate Canteen.
Instructions on Inmate Video Visitation:

  • Register or Log in to your account
  • Select the facility where the inmate is located and the inmate you wish to visit.
  • Select the "Video Visit an Inmate" option
  • Follow the prompts on screen to schedule the visit.

    Video Visitation must be done from a computer using Google Chrome and an updated Adobe Flash player. Before starting this process you must make sure that your Adobe Flash player is fully updated and that you are using Google Chrome. First... Set up Flash, then restart your computer and then go to Google Chrome on your desktop or laptop computer and log on to Inmate Canteen.
    Steps Inmate canteen Visitation:
    1. Go to www.inmatecanteen.com on a computer (not supported on mobile devices i.e. tablets, cell phones, etc)
    2. Log in, select your inmate, and select the Video Visit an Inmate option.
    3. You will be required to fill out a form, submit a driver's license picture and a picture of your face. Once submitted, Douglas County Jail will either approve or deny it.
    4. Once approved you will be all set to video visit!
    NOTES: Make sure you are allowing flash player to run in google chrome by selecting the lock icon to left of the browser. Flash Player needs to be set to “allow”. Then you can refresh the page and it should be good to go. If flash player is being blocked you will not be able to take a picture or see any video during the visitation. When you click on the video visitation link on the website, please visit the Audition Room to test your equipment. To find the Audition Room, please click on 'Video Visit an Inmate' and it will be located on the top of your screen. Here you can test and verify that your webcam and microphone are working. We highly recommend a hard line for video visiting, unstable internet can result in poor visit qualities.

What is a video visit?

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 Douglas 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.

What are the companies that work with the jails and prisons that allow video visits?

There are several different companies that contract with all the jails and prisons that allow video visitation:

These are the companies in alphabetical order:

CIDNET
City Tele Coin
Correct Solutions Group
Correct Pay
Ctel
Gettingout
GTL
Homewav
IC Solutions
Inmate Canteen
Inmate Sales
iwebvisits
JailATM
Jpay
Gettingintouch (netvisit)
NCIC
Prodigy Sales
Reliance
Securus
Smart Communications
Tiger Services
Visitel
In addition, some jails use Microsoft Meeting and Zoom.

Douglas County Jail Inmate Mail Policies and Address - What Can You Send, and Where?

For inmates receiving mail in the Douglas County Jail there are different addresses and policies depending on the inmate's status, as well as what type of mail they are receiving; personal mail, legal mail, subscriptions or books sent from a third-party such as Amazon.

All mail is to be shipped to the Douglas County Jail:
509 3rd Avenue West
Alexandria, MN 56308


For complete information on mail policies, what you can send an inmate and what address to send them, check out our Inmate Mail page.


 

How to Have Remote Video Visits with an Inmate in Douglas County

To register and sign up for a remote visitation account with Inmate Canteen to communicate with your Douglas County Jail inmate, follow the instructions below:

  • Register and create an account with Inmate Canteen, or log in if you already have an account.
  • Inmate Canteen has excellent quality video visits between your home device and a video terminal in the inmate's housing area.
  • This is a fee based service.
  • After you are signed in, select Minnesota, the Douglas County Jail, thn the inmate you wish to visit.
  • Select the Visit option. Follow the prompts on screen to set up a time to visit with your inmate.
  • Direct link to How to set up a Video Visit with Inmate Canteen.

For all the information you need to know, including instructions, policies, tips and solutions to possible issues regarding visiting with an inmate (both at the facility and remotely) in Douglas County, visit our full page guide

NOTE: All video visits are recorded and stored. Whatever you talk about, can and will be used against your inmate in court. Never discuss their pending criminal case!
Also, be warned that some video visits providers are collecting voice prints for a database which law enforcement agencies are building.


 

How to Have Remote Video Visits with an Inmate in Douglas County

To register and sign up for a remote visitation account with Inmate Canteen to communicate with your Douglas County Jail inmate, follow the instructions below:

  • Register and create an account with your Douglas County inmate using Inmate Canteen.
  • Inmate Canteen has excellent quality video visits between your home device and a video terminal in the inmate's housing area at Douglas County Jail.
  • You can also send and receive secure messages and use them to make and receive phone calls with your Douglas County inmate.
  • This is a fee based service.

Instructions for Inmate Video Visitation:
- Register or Log in to your account
- Select Douglas County Jail and the inmate you wish to visit.
- Select the "Video Visit an Inmate" option
- Follow the prompts on screen to schedule the visit.

For all the information you need to know, including instructions, policies, tips and solutions to possible issues regarding visiting with an inmate (both at the jail and remotely) in Douglas County, visit our full page guide

NOTE: All video visits are recorded and stored. Whatever you talk about, can and will be used against your inmate in court. Never discuss their pending criminal case!
Also, be warned that some video visits providers are collecting voice prints for a database which law enforcement agencies are building.


 

How an Inmate Makes a Phone Call to You or Others from Douglas County Jail

To set up a phone account so that your inmate can call you from Douglas County do the following:

1. Enroll in an account with Securus Technologies.

2. Choose one of three account types, Securus Debit, Advance Connect or Direct Bill.
3. Choose [facility_name_1}, then connect with your inmate.
4. If you have any questions, call Securus: 972-734-1111 or 800-844-6591.

To find out fees, how to's, calling times, limits on phone calls and other systems Securus has do that you can communicate with your Douglas County inmate, check out our Inmate Phone Page.
NOTE: All of your inmate's phone calls are recorded and stored. It is advised not to discuss their pending case.


 

How Do Inmates in Douglas County Jail Make Phone Calls?

To set up your Douglas County inmate to make to make phone calls to you and others, follow these instructions:

For all the information you need in order to receive phone calls from your Douglas County inmate, or to assist them in making calls to others, including instructions, fees, cost of calls, payment methods and times that your inmate can use the phone, check out our Inmate Phone Page.
NOTE: All of your communication with your inmate will be monitored and recorded. Use discretion when discussing sensitive information about their pending case.


 

How Do Inmates in Douglas County Jail Send and Receive Texts and Emails?

To set up your Douglas County inmate to make to send and receive texts and emails to you and others, follow these instructions:

For all the information you need in order to send and receive texts and emails from your Douglas County inmate, or to assist them in sending and receiving secure messages to and from others, including instructions, fees, cost of each message, tablet rentals, payment methods and times that your inmate can send messages, check out our Text/Email an Inmate Page.
NOTE: All of your communication with your inmate will be monitored and recorded. Use discretion when communicating sensitive information about their pending case.