Phone & Video Calls in West Virginia (WV DCR)

How calls work

West Virginia’s communications vendor is ViaPath Technologies (formerly Global Tel*Link / GTL), which families use through two brands: GettingOut (the app for calls, messaging, and video) and ConnectNetwork (for funding accounts). The inmate places outgoing calls only — there are no incoming calls. Families receive calls by funding a prepaid AdvancePay account at ConnectNetwork.com, through the ConnectNetwork app, or by phone, or the inmate can pay from a debit account they fund themselves.

West Virginia does not publish an official per-minute call rate, and the state has not made calls free (unlike some states — do not confuse this with neighboring Virginia). The rate has been relatively low — a few cents a minute — in recent years, but it is set in the ConnectNetwork system and changes, and the state posts no current figure, so check the rate in ConnectNetwork before funding an account.

Tablets

West Virginia issues ViaPath tablets to people in its facilities. The tablets handle phone calls, voicemail, electronic messaging, video visits, and photo-sharing — and they are also how a person receives scanned incoming mail (see Mail & Packages).

Messaging

Through GettingOut, families can send electronic messages (and photos) to the tablet from a Friends & Family account at GettingOut.com. The price is set per message (recently around 15 cents a message, though the live price can change) — confirm it in the app before sending.

Video visits

Video visits run through GettingOut, and West Virginia offers them both on-site at the facility and remotely from home (computer or, at some facilities, a mobile device). The price is per minute (recently about 20 cents a minute) — confirm the current rate and book the visit at GettingOut.com.

Verify Before Acting

For the general, nationwide overview of this topic, see the national guide: Staying in Touch.