Rhode Island Governor Unveils New Video Arraignment System for Courts

Rhode Island Gov. Donald L. Carcieri recently unveiled a new video conferencing system that the courts will use to reduce the number of inmates transported to the Licht and Garrahy Judicial Complexes.

"We continue to have a safety concern due to the high number of inmates being transported and housed at various courts," said Carcieri. "At the Garrahy Complex alone the capacity is exceeded by an average of over 100 percent on a daily basis. This overcrowding jeopardizes the security of the public, court employees and inmates and detainees."

"Additionally our findings point to the fact that a significant number of inmates are unnecessarily transported to our courts because they never appear before a judge or see an attorney," the governor said. "In fact, from the period of one year beginning in October of 2002, 18,728 inmates were transported to the Licht Judicial Complex, but only 37 percent of them appeared before a judge. That means that 11,711 inmates were needlessly transported to the court. That's unacceptable."

"To reduce the number of inmates and detainees in our court facilities, we are instituting state-of-the-art video conferencing at the ACI [Adult Correctional Institute] and at the Garrahy and Licht Courthouses. This is about enhancing security in our court facilities. It's about making state government more efficient by realizing cost savings on transportation, meals and housing," Carcieri concluded.