Last fall, in the wake of news that Louisiana’s Jefferson Parish would be moving to video-only visitation, MuckRock began requesting materials from parish law enforcement throughout the state. We need your help to bring this scrutiny close to your home.

For the first time in the Bayou State, inmates at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center will only be available to family and friends via video.

Video phone kiosks have been replacing real-life visitation in American jails and prisons — sometimes altogether — and the move is a welcome development for inmate calling services and prison wardens alike. For those on either end of the calls, though, it’s a direct line from their wallets to their captors’ bank accounts, and the government is having a hard time putting a stop to it.