Pennsylvania Jail Installs Videoconferencing Amid Pandemic

(TNS) — Additional video conferencing rooms will be built at Westmoreland County Prison to allow for more court hearings to be held remotely as coronavirus infections continue to spread among inmates.

Commissioners on Thursday hired Laurel Design and Construction Inc. of Hempfield to install new areas at the jail to allow more inmates to appear before local judges rather than be transferred to the courthouse of district judge. The company will be paid $38,560.

County officials in September initially allocated $11,000 for the project to double the jail's video conferencing capabilities. The money approved in September and again on Thursday was from federal funds the county received to cover financial losses and mitigate costs related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Remote court hearings have increased this fall as coronavirus cases continue to surge in the county.

"We haven't been able to schedule video hearings fast enough so we decided to add more rooms," said Commissioner  Doug Chew .

Commissioners earlier this year allocated funds to upgrade video and audio equipment in the 11 courtrooms at the courthouse and, last month, another $353,000 was earmarked to improve wireless capabilities throughout the court system, including at the county's 17 district judge's offices.

President  Judge Rita Hathaway  last week halted the transfer of inmates from the jail to the courthouse and district judge's offices through December for court hearings. Criminal and civil trials were suspended until February.

Jail officials discovered the recent outbreak of coronavirus cases among inmates in late November. As of Thursday, a total of 116 inmates tested positive for the virus. Two units at the jail are on lockdown as officials work to contain the virus spread.

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