Video conferencing for professionals and families
Audiovisual link conferencing
What is AVL conferencing?
AVL stands for audiovisual link. AVL conferencing allows two or more people in separate locations to communicate in real time using full-motion video and high-quality audio.
AVL conferencing also allows participants to share documents and other files.
When do we use audiovisual conferencing?
AVL conferencing can be used to provide for:
- police, expert, civilian and vulnerable witnesses to remotely provide testimony to courtrooms
- persons in custody to appear in court from a correctional or Youth Justice centre or police station
- legal professionals, including Legal Aid, Aboriginal Legal Services and private practitioners, to consult with clients detained in a correctional or Youth Justice centre
- medical professionals to conduct clinical assessments of detained persons when physical examination is not possible
- family or friends to communicate with their loved ones in a correctional or Youth Justice centre
- communication between government employees
- We also use this technology to support video vists between inmate family and friends.
AVL conferencing can be used from any location that has video conferencing equipment. Alternatively you can video conference from a personal device (e.g. from office or home) if you have permission to do so.
About JUST Connect
What is JUST Connect
JUST Connect is the web-based collaborative software system we use to make it video-conferencing easier. JUST Connect allows community and government agencies, as well as approved external stakeholders, to book video and telephone calls, including meetings, professional interviews, and court appearances. JUST Connect also provides notifications and reminders about upcoming appointments. Currently Courts, Corrective Services NSW and Youth Justice staff use JUST Connect to manage and coordinate court appearances.
JUST Connect is available to the following:
- The Department of Communities and Justice NSW,
- Corrective Services NSW
- Youth Justice NSW
- Public Defenders NSW
- The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
- The NSW Aboriginal Legal Service NSW-ACT
- The State Parole Authority
Approved external service providers and private professionals.
How to apply for access to JUST Connect (Department of Communities and Justice staff members)
You can apply for access to JUST Connect if you work for the Communities and Justice system in NSW, either within a government agency or as an external service provider.
If you work for the Department of Communities and Justice, an administrator at your location will be able to create a user profile for you. If you are not sure, contact the Support Team by emailing justconnect@justice.nsw.gov.au or calling 02 8759 0010.
How to apply for access to JUST Connect (Private Professionals)
You can enquire about private professional access to JUST Connect by emailing the JUST Connect Support Team at justconnect@justice.nsw.gov.au. Please note that if you wish to use JUST Connect to contact an adult in custody at a correctional centre, you will first need to obtain a Visitor Identification Number (VIN). To obtain a VIN, please fill in the VIN application form (DOCX , 84.3 KB).
- Technologies and AVL in Courts
- Information for witnesses
- Information about evidence display facilities at courts
- Information about court AVL facilities
- Information about Just Connect roll out and training in District Courts (PDF , 93.3 KB).
Family and Friends
Correctives Services has temporarily suspended in person visits to minimise the risk of transmitting the COVID-19 virus. The Department recognises the importance of maintaining a connection between people in custody and their loved ones. As such, it is currently implementing video visits in a staged process as it trains staff in the new technology. More information will be available as the service is rolled out.
Youth Justice and AVL
- Information for families when a child has been sent to a Youth Justice centre
- If your child is refused bail or placed on a control order in a Youth Justice centre.
Legal Aid and AVL
Office of Director of Public Prosecutions and AVL
Corrective Services and AVL
Scheduled telephone access to offenders
Corrective Services NSW offers scheduled telephone calls in various centres, which all JUST Connect users can access. This makes it easier for legal practitioners to contact offenders in custody via a scheduled audio link. The scheduling allows staff to have offenders ready at the appointed time.
You can use JUST Connect to see when scheduled phone calls are available and then make a booking. Professionals without JUST Connect access must complete a 'Request for booking professional appointment with inmate (AVL / phone) (DOCX , 52.6 KB)' form and send it to the video conferencing area of the centre that houses the inmate. Please note that not all centres have a scheduled phone facility.
All professionals who wish to meet with an inmate must have a Visiting Inmate Number (VIN). If you do not have one, please fill in the VIN application form (DOCX , 83.5 KB).
Using your own device to hold a video conference if you are a legal practitioner
Representatives from the Communities and Justice Agencies, the Law Society of NSW and the New South Wales Bar Association have worked together to launch a new videoconferencing trial. It will allow select legal practitioners to interview clients housed in nominated NSW Correctional Centres without having to invest in expensive video conferencing equipment. Currently, the pilot trial is at maximum capacity. However, if you wish to inquire about possible future participation, please email vcenquiries@dcs.nsw.gov.au
Dial-in details to connect to your booking
If you are a staff member within NSW Communities and Justice, please dial the five-digit number in your reminder notification.
If you are an external user, please dial the five-digit number provided as part of your email notification. For example, 12345@justice.nsw.gov.au
For telephone appointments, please dial the telephone number provided in your reminder notification.
If you are attending a professional video appointment by telephone, please dial eight digits by adding the prefix '875' to the five-digit number you have received (e.g. 875-12345).
