MAYVILLE, N.Y. -- The Chautauqua County Jail in Mayville has launched a new video visitation phone system. Sheriff Joe Gerace says he needed to expand the number of visiting hours per week for inmates to help meet state requirements. 

"We don't have the capacity to handle more seats in the visiting room," said Gerace, D-Chautauqua County.

Gerace says the goal is to help reduce the number of in-person visits and contraband incidents. Funding for the program came from a state grant and the jail's phone service provider.

"Our job is to keep them safe and secure while they're here in the facility, sometimes that connection to a family member gives them piece of mind, gives them somebody to talk to," said Gerace.

The technology allows visitors to register and speak with an inmate using a computer with a camera or their smartphone, at about 40 cents a minute. The inmates sit at a kiosk to chat with visitors in 10 or 25 minute blocks of time.

"Some of the inmates families don't have transportation. The video visitation opens up a means of communication to them that they didn't have beforehand," said Lt. Daniel Quagliana, Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office.

"She doesn't come visit me so far away," said Matthew Cooley, an inmate.

Cooley has been in jail about three and a half months for violating an order of protection in Chautauqua County. He uses the video system to speak with his wife in Indiana.

"It helps us out in here too you know, especially if you're far away like I am, you know. It helps us out, gets us through the day," said Cooley.

As part of the program, all video visits outside of the attorney, client conversations are monitored and recorded.

"We worry about inappropriate things being done on either end of the camera, and if there is any issue, there'll be charges placed and also that inmate would lose privilege to ever use the camera system again," said Gerace.

The system is being offered free of charge through Aug. 21.