Release Date 02-26-2010

BROADVIEW, IL – State Rep. Karen Yarbrough (D-Maywood) applauded Governor Quinn for signing into law legislation that would implement a pilot program to study the feasibility of creating a video conferencing network to allow family members to remotely visit incarcerated loved ones.

“I am glad the Governor acted quickly on this measure. After the gavel of justice has fallen we are left with innocent families that are torn apart because of the bad choices of one of their members,” Yarbrough said.  “If we want to build a criminal justice system that reforms and rehabilitates, we must recognize the motivating effects that contact with family can have and look for ways to keep families connected.”

Persons sentenced to prison time in Illinois are often sent to correctional facilities that are far from the family left behind.  For many low-income families, the distance from home to a prison can be a barrier to regular visits, which require significant gasoline and hotel expenses.

Yarbrough’s House Bill 1995 (PA 96-0869)  directs the Illinois Department of Corrections to establish a pilot program to allow family members to have interactive, video visits with incarcerated loved ones.  The visits could be used as an alternative to costly prisoner transfers, and Yarbrough hopes that they will increase the frequency with which inmates can contact their families and provide prisoners with further incentive to remain on good behavior so they do not lose videoconferencing privileges.

“In many cases, video visits can be more fulfilling than talking on a telephone through a glass window,” Yarbrough said.  “If you consider the fact that many small children can be scared to visit a prison, I think we could develop a safe, secure, and rewarding program that will ultimately save taxpayers’ money, boost prisoner morale and hopefully keep them on a path to rehabilitation.”

The Department of Corrections will now implement the program in prisons and social service agencies throughout the state.  For more information, contact Yarbrough’s office at (708) 615-1747.