Studies show that when inmates maintain bonds with loved ones, it reduces the odds of them returning to prison after release. Yet the average inmate receives only two visits while incarcerated. This is due in large part to very limited visiting hours, and the current video call system which has high fees that are putting families into debt for a service that rarely works. The situation is forcing already struggling loved ones to choose between going into debt or losing their relationships, driving the already isolated inmates into further isolation.

Addressing the problem, we created “Visiting Hours,” reimagining visitation in the American prison system seen through the lens of three inmates. In partnership with the Fairfax County Detention Center located in Virginia, we instituted a new system consisting or private video booths equipped with Cox high speed internet, and new rules that ensure inmates can speak to loved ones every single day, for free.