FLINT, MICHIGAN, WHERE A SAT DOWN WITH A DEFENDANT IN THE CASE
WHO TELLS ME HE’S HAD
SECOND THOUGHTS ABOUT
A POLICY HE ONCE
EMBRACED.
>> HOW YOU DOING
TODAY?
>> WHAT BEGINS AS
EXCITEMENT ENDS IN
TEARS FOR RAQUILA
HARRIS DUDLEY AND HER
CHILDREN.
SEPARATED BY LESS THAN
2 MILES AND BY A JAIL
POLICY THAT DOESN’T
ALLOW IN-PERSON
VISITATION.
HER PARENTS, PHILIP
AND BRENDA, HAVE BEEN
CARING FOR HER
CHILDREN.
>> EVERY DAY WHERE’S
MAMA, WHEN SHE COMING
HOME.
>> IT MADE HAVE MADE
FOR SOME ROUGH MOMENTS
WITH THE KIDS.
>> OH, YES.
OH, YES.
>> I SAID RIGHT NOW
GRANNY’S MOMMY AND I’M
GOING TO HOLD YOU
UNTIL YOU FEEL BETTER.
>> REPLACING FREE
IN-PERSON VISITS WITH
COSTLY VIDEO CALLS HAS
BECOME THE NORM
IPHUNDREDS OF JAILS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
HERE A 25-MINUTE CALL
TYPICALLY COSTS $10.
>> IT JUST COSTS TOO
MUCH, AND IT’S NOT
EVEN GUARANTEED THAT
IT’S GOING TO WORK.
>> NOW THE POLICY IS
AT THE CENTER OF TWO
LAWSUITS IN MICHIGAN
INCLUDING ONE OF THEM
HERE IN GENESEE
COUNTY, WHICH IS
FIGHTING IT, ARGUING
THERE’S NO
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT
FOR IN-PERSON
VISITATIONS.
BUT CIVIL RIGHTS
ATTORNEY ALEX DeSANTIS
DISAGREES AND SAYING
VIDEO ONLY VISITS ARE
PAINFULLY INADEQUATE.
>> WE THINK THERE’S A
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT
FOR CHILDREN TO HUG
THEIR PARENTS.
>> THE VIDEO CALLS ARE
OPERATED BY FOR PROFIT
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
COMPANIES, BUT
COUNTIES LIKE GENESEE
GET TO POCKET SOME OF
THE REVENUE.
HE CALLS IT A KICK
BACK SCHEME.
>> THE THEORY BEHIND
THESE CONTRACTS SEEMS
TO BE IF YOU STOP KIDS
FROM VISITING THEIR
PARENTS IN PERSON,
THESE DESPERATE
FAMILIES WILL BE
FORCED TO SPEND MORE
MONEY ON PHONE AND ID
VIDEO CALLS.
>> THIS IS HER FIRST
TIME IN JAIL.
SHE SAYS HER SON’S
FATHER PHYSICALLY
ABUSED HER FOR YEARS
LEAVING THIS SCAR.
SHE’S ACCUSED OF
VIOLENTLY RETALIATING
AGAINST HIM AFTER SHE
SAYS HE ATTACKED HER
IN FEBRUARY.
>> IT WAS A FIGHT OR
FLIGHT MOMENT.
I NEVER THOUGHT I
WOULD DO ANYTHING LIKE
THAT.
>> RAQUILA COULDN’T
AFFORD BAIL, SO THIS
SCREEN IS THE CLOSEST
SHE CAN GET TO SEEING
HER CHILDREN.
HOW DOES IT FEEL THAT
SOMEONE IS MAKING
MONEY OFF THIS?
>> IT FEELS
DISHEARTENING.
IT FEELS CRIMINAL.
>> I FEEL IT’S GREED.
GREED.
>> SHERIFF CHRIS
SWANSON RUNS THE JAIL
AND WAS A STRONG
SUPPORTER OF THE
POLICY WHEN IT BEGAN
TEN YEARS AGO.
HE IS PERSONALLY NAMED
IN THE LAWSUIT.
HOW MUCH MONEY IS THE
COUNTY MAKING FROM
VIDEO VISITS RIGHT
NOW?
>> OVER 400,000.
>> WHAT WAS THE
REASONING BEHIND IT?
>> MONEY.
I BECAME THE
UNDER-SHERIFF IN 2010.
WE HAD TO CUT 10% OF
OUR BUDGET.
WHEN IT CAME TO THE
REVENUE, IT WAS VERY
ATTRACTIVE AND IT
STILL IS TO SHERIFFS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY,
BUT WE’RE GOING TO
CHANGE THAT.
>> AND BY CHANGE THAT,
SHERIFF SWANSON MEANT
NOW.
IN OUR INTERVIEW HE
TOLD ME THAT HE
BELIEVES HE MADE A
MISTAKE, AND
REGARDLESS OF HOW THE
COURT RULES, HE SAYS
HE’S REVERSING COURSE,
REINSTATING IN-PERSON
VISITS STARTING NEXT
MONTH.
>> WE’RE GOING TO
RETURN TO IN-PERSON
VISITS AND INVEST OUR
REVENUES BACK TO
LOWERING COSTS FOR
JAIL CALLS AND
VISITATIONS.
>> YOU’RE GOING TO BE
LEAVING MONEY ON THE
TABLE.
>> IT’S MONEY I DON’T
NEED.
AND IT’S MONEY THAT
DOESN’T COME FROM
INMATES BUT FROM THEIR
FAMILIES.
AND SOLE YOU’RE
PENALIZING PEOPLE AND
I SEE THAT NOW.
>> YOU WERE ONE OF THE
GUYS A PROPONENT OF
ENDING IN-PERSON
VISITS AND NOW YOU’VE
MADE THIS GIANT TURN
HERE.
>> IT’S BECAUSE THE
PERSON THAT I AM TODAY
IS NOT THE SAME PERSON
I WAS IN 2012, 2014.
>> BUT NOT LONG AGO
YOU WERE CELEBRATING
THE DOLLARS COMING IN.
>> I ACCEPT THAT.
>> WHY DID IT TAKE A
LAWSUIT, THOUGH, TO
MAKE THIS TURN?
>> IT DIDN’T HAVE TO.
>> BUT IT DID.
>> IT DID.
>> AFTER SPENDING MORE
THAN 100 DAYS IN JAIL,
RAQUILA FINALLY MADE
BAIL LAST WEEK, ABLE