JUST Connect for family and friends

You can use the JUST Connect online system to book a video appointment or in-person visit with a family member or friend in custody. 

JUST Connect is the Corrective Services NSW system you can use to:

• book a video or in-person appointment
• view your appointment
• get an email reminder about your appointment
• get SMS reminders about your appointment.

If you are a government employee or private legal or medical professional working with an inmate, access JUST Connect for professional user groups. 

How do I register for JUST Connect?

Step 1

Before you apply for a JUST Connect account, have your full name, e-mail address, Australian mobile number, and Visitor Index Number (VIN*) for the online application.

* The VIN is a unique identification number for visitors. If you need to find out what your VIN is, or if this is your first time visiting an inmate, please contact the staff at the correctional centre who will be able to assist you.

Step 2

Complete the online form: JUST Connect family & friends application form.

Step 3

Once the account is created, you will receive a welcome e-mail with instructions that will allow you to log in to the JUST Connect system and commence scheduling appointments. You will not be able to log in or make a visit until you receive this welcome e-mail. 

How do I get a visit scheduled when I don’t have an account?

We appreciate your patience while we review your application.  In the meantime, the correctional centre where the inmate is located may be able to schedule appointments on your behalf.

Which Correctional Centres can I visit via Video or In-Person?

Visits are available to be scheduled at all correctional centres.

How do I request a video visit with an inmate once I have a JUST Connect account?

Please see the JUST Connect Friends and Family User Guide (PDF, 441.3 KB) included in the section.

The User Guide also includes information about:

• How to view upcoming visits on your dashboard
• How to manage your JUST Connect account
• How to change a booking
• What you can change in your just connect account

Will I still receive an email with my booking details?

Yes, once confirmed.

Will I still receive an SMS with my booking details?

Yes, once confirmed.

Can JUST Connect Support Centre create accounts or schedule appointments over the phone?

No – unfortunately the JUST Connect Support Centre cannot create appointments or accounts for families over the phone.

Complete the JUST Connect family & friends application form and in the meantime, contact the correctional centre where the inmate is located who may be able to schedule appointments on your behalf.

Can I still contact the Correctional Centre to make bookings?

Yes, some correctional centres will create bookings on your behalf.

How do I make a booking with an inmate I have not had approval to visit?

Call the correctional centre.

Who do I contact if I need assistance with a JUST Connect issue?

JUST Connect Support are here to help, email us at JUSTConnect@dcj.nsw.gov.au or call on 02 8759 0010.

Where to get help once the booking has been made?

Important booking information

What reminders/notifications will be sent to family and friends?

Family and friends will receive a confirmation once the visit (appointment) has been booked on JUST Connect. This should arrive the following day and will contain the visit date, time, and location as well as who is attending the visit. The inmate's name being visited will also be included.

Links within this email will give family and friends more information about visits (appointments), such as how to get the app and the guidelines of having video visits.

The day prior to the appointment, JUST Connect will send a reminder email and SMS to all the attendees who are also registered on JUST Connect. You will also receive a notification on the day of the appointment.

If the inmate's visit (appointment) is cancelled by the centre, then a notification advising that the visit has been cancelled will also be sent to the attendees who are also registered on JUST Connect.

What if the inmate is moved to a different centre after a booking has been scheduled?

If the inmate moves to a different centre, the booking owner will receive a notification saying that the visit (appointment) is cancelled (this is a normal part of the JUST Connect process). You will need to rebook in the new location.

Who needs a Visitor Identification Number (VIN)?

The VIN is a unique identification number for visitors.  All visitors, including those aged less than 18 years who wish to visit an inmate in a NSW correctional centre or via video, must have a Visitor Identification Number (VIN). This VIN will be used to provide access to the JUST Connect account. 

Rules for video visits

COVID-safe measures apply to in-person visits. 

Make sure you know the rules before you book. 

Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) welcomes family and friends who wish to visit NSW correctional centres. CSNSW recognises that visits are important to maintain strong family relationships and make it easier for inmates to readjust to life in the community when they are released.

CSNSW is committed to providing child and family-friendly visits areas at its centres, and to facilitating regular visits of family members to inmates.

What are the rules for video visits with an inmate in custody?

For family and friends to have a video visit with an inmate there are rules that must be followed, they are listed below. Should any participant of the video visit breach any of these rules it will result in the termination of the video visit. Further, if necessary, visitors can be banned from video visits under clause 108 of the Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Act.

• Each adult visitor booked and on screen is required to show to the camera a valid form of photographic Identification (ID) to visits staff. A list of ID accepted by CSNSW can be found in COPP section 10.1 Visits to inmates by family and friends (PDF , 364.3 KB) at subsection 2.1 Initial identification requirements.
• To confirm your identity, visits staff may request a visitor to remove any face coverings. Refer to COPP section 10.1 Visits to inmates by family and friends (PDF , 364.3 KB) at subsection 2.6 Removal of face-covering. 
• At no time are any visitors allowed to use a 3rd party device (a device not used to connect to the video visit such as tablets, mobile phones, laptops) to display/ show anything to the inmate, or to connect them via phone call to a person not listed in the video visit booking.
• Once the video visit has started, no one else can connect via a separate device.
• Any person who has not been listed on the visits booking form that appears on screen/ communicates with the inmate will result in the video visit being terminated by the OIC of Visits.
• Video recording/ capturing screen shots by visitors is strictly prohibited. Failure to comply will result in the termination of the video visit. 
• Visitors and inmates must maintain an acceptable standard of behaviour. Aggressive, obscene, or sexual behaviour will not be tolerated and will result in the video visit will be terminated. 
• Visits staff will inform visitors and inmates prior to the start of the video visit that the inmate cannot touch the tablet for any reason during the video visit and failure to comply will result in the video visit being terminated.
• Visitors must maintain an acceptable standard of dress, no nudity or partial nudity.
• All family and friend video visits are subject to monitoring by the Officer in Charge (OIC) of visits.

What software do I use to make the video visit from home?

The email that you receive from JUST Connect will provide you with either a Zoom 10-digit number or a link to or Webex

If your visit is part of the Webex Pilot, please refer to the Webex User Guide for Family and Friends (PDF , 624.5 KB).

If you are provided with a 10 digit number, please refer to the Zoom User Guide for Family and Friends.pdf (PDF , 4.3 MB)

If you are provided with a link, please refer to the Jabber Guest Guide for Family and Friends.pdf (PDF , 1.1 MB)

Key resources