Video System Saving County Thousands
Luzerne (PA) County officials estimate that their Polycom viewstations, which link courtrooms at the county courthouse to almost every state prison, have saved more than $208,000 since they were put into use last fall.
The new system allows inmates to videoconference with judicial authorities, saving the state from having to transport prisoners for minor hearings, which can cost thousands of dollars for a 15-minute hearing.
The management information analyst for the county, Bill Ostroskie, said that the system paid for itself a few months after its use. Officials say that the $70,000 for viewstations, $18,000 fiber-optic installation, and two county positions that were created were a reasonable price to pay in order to improve efficiency and cut down on transport costs.
The system was originally suggested by deputy court administrator Jack Mulroy, who had hoped videoconferencing would ease medical and safety issues of prisoners and witnesses, and adds that the cost benefits were an added bonus.
Although the state uses the system for roughly 200 hearings a month, sentencing, guilty pleas and trials are still conducted face-to-face to allow defendants the right to confront their accusers.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Citizens Voice (PA) (07/28/03); Napersky, Lisa.