The Detroit Free Press published an article on July 23rd highlighting a new program the Michigan Department of Corrections is rolling out to seven of its 29 prisons. The program will allow prisoners to make and receive video calls. The article notes that MDOC’s telephone vendor, Global Tel Link, will provide video calls for 16 cents a minute, the same price as a phone call. MDOC department spokesman, Chris Gautz, said video visitation will expand statewide, but there isn’t a timeline for that yet. The Department of Corrections halted in-person visits in prisons March 13 because of COVID-19 and does not yet have a timeline for when in-person visits will resume.
