Mother of Chesterfield HARP inmate reacts to expanded video visitation

Editor’s Note: This article has been corrected to clarify that the HARP program is being conducted at the Central Virginia Correctional Unit 13 in Chesterfield.

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Inmates at Central Virginia Correctional Unit 13 now have more opportunities to connect with loved ones thanks to an expansion of the video visitation program.

Karen Amato’s son is a part of the jail’s Helping Addicts Recover Progressively program, better known as HARP.

“We all need human connection,” said Amato. “And when you’re incarcerated, you lose most of it,” says Amato.

Amato says frequent video visitation helps her connect with her son.

“Sometimes we’ll have family events, cookouts and different things,” Amato said. “And we’ll call him on the video call. And everybody’s just so excited to see him, just to see his face.”

The Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) recently expanded video visitation equipment into inmates’ cells, providing more privacy. Amato sees this as a positive step.

“This is critical, to these men and women having healthy relationships on the outside, having strong families on the outside,” she said. “And that is going to be very critical when they get out.”

Chesterfield County Jail is the most recent in central Virginia to undergo this expansion. Others include Sussex One State Prison in Sussex County, State Farm Work Center in Goochland County and State Farm Correctional Center in Powhatan County. Amato hopes this program will be implemented in more jails across the state.

“As much as I wish everybody could have [visitation] in person, that we all could have that, I do think that if you can’t have that, then the video, it makes a big difference,” she said. “Being able, you know, like I said, just to see their face, it means everything to me as a mom.”

Those who want to get in contact with an inmate at Chesterfield County Jail can do so during regular operating hours, which are from 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weekends. The visitation scheduler can be found here .

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