Due to tight state budgets and safety concerns, more states are using teleconferencing rather than transporting prisoners to court. Connecticut, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Tennessee report an increase in use of teleconferences between judges and inmates.
In one example of transporting a high security prisoner to a court hearing, attended by corrections officers and two state troopers, Connecticut estimates it costs the state at least $1,600 per hearing. This year, Connecticut has completed installing teleconferencing equipment in all of its 18 correctional facilities. Kansas uses teleconferencing for parole hearings and internal disciplinary matters, and is seeking to expand its use. Teleconferencing is used in Pennsylvania for court cases, parole hearings and immigration hearings, as well as employee meetings and regional training sessions. Facing an economic downturn, more states are expected to use teleconferencing to save on the expenses for vehicles, vehicle maintenance, gasoline, drivers, and security personnel, associated with the transportation of prisoners.
Source: http://www.lexisone.com/news/ap/ap112408b.html
Tags: court appearances, teleconferencing, videoconferencing
