VIDEOCONFERENCING COURTHOUSE TO PRISON

The Delaware County Court is a national pioneer since the early 1990’s in the use of videoconferencing of Judicial Hearings and various-type interviews between the Courthouse in Media and the George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Concord Township.

In an article in the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency Newsletter in 2000, Delaware County was referred to as a national model: “In the end, the national research and NCSC (National Center for State Courts) conference confirmed the counties’ (Berks, Lancaster, Montgomery, York) belief that Delaware County serves as a national showcase for the potential benefits of videoconferencing technology in the criminal justice system.”

Constructed by Comcast Cable over their fiber optic network, videoconferencing continues to expand and play an important role in the criminal justice system.  Not only does the system reduce the number of prisoners at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility who normally would be transported to the Courthouse, but it also speeds the criminal process so defendants have their hearings much sooner. It also reduces waiting time for all parties in the courtroom. Additionally, it eliminates potential security problems in the community and the Courthouse since the inmate does not leave the prison.

Begun in 1984, the Court videoconferenced Common Pleas Court Arraignments by microwave antenna. In 1993, the Court changed the transmission system and began using fiber optics cable leased from Comcast Cable for Arraignments. In 1996, the Court, through the efforts of the Criminal Justice Advisory Committee, expanded the usage of videoconferencing in the Criminal Court System, and further developed its use in 1997 and 1998. In 1999, the Court purchased a digital system which would allow a greater flexibility in the growing use of videoconferencing.

In addition to Arraignments, the system now transmits Violation of Probation and Parole Hearings in front of Masters and Judges (Gagnon I and Gagnon II Hearings), Bail Hearings and Bail Appeals, Extradition Hearings, Custody Cases, Children and Youth Cases, Domestic Relations 72-hour Hearings, Paternity Hearings, Guilty Pleas and other miscellaneous cases.

The Comcast fiber system allows the Court to connect and switch courtrooms and hearing rooms to the prison by computer but one of the other features of the system also allows us to connect rooms within the Courthouse. In 2005, the Court began using videoconferencing in such a way for Child Sex Offense cases, in which the child and defendant are separated to allow the child to testify to the Court, yet not in the presence of the defendant.

Videoconferencing also is utilized for interview purposes so that Court or County professionals need not travel to the Prison to speak with a client. These interviews include Public Defender and private defense counsel interviews, Bail and Probation/Parole interviews, Drug & Alcohol Assessments, and Psychological Interviews.

Because of the pioneering effort in Delaware County, many courts in the Commonwealth have instituted some form of videoconferencing.

• Video Conferencing Statistics in PDF