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Video conferencing delivers fast effective communication, allowing two or more sites to see and hear each other in a completely interactive setting. Video conferencing is a powerful, proven, strategic communication tool that allows business to function more efficiently.
The primary aim of video conferencing has been to substantially reduce the security and other risks associated with facilitating external inmate movements from nominated metropolitan and regional correctional centres to courts, and reduce operational and capital costs.
Corrective Services is committed to increasing the benefits from video conferencing by continuing to introduce video conferencing locations, linking internal and external video conferencing sites for facilitating court matters, legal interviews, professional interviews, Family Video Visits and identified corporate business such as meetings, presentations, learning, staff development and identified vocational interviews.
Corporate Video Conferencing
The corporate business network provides much of the basis to expand the existing courts network and incorporate a data calibration environment. This network will operate on a compatible platform to realise the full benefit of an integrated voice, video and data system.
Legal Visits
Since the implementation of video conferencing within the Justice Agencies in 2001, the Legal Aid Commission along with the Public Defenders has used video conferencing to take instructions from their clients in New South Wales Correctional Centres.
In mid 2000, the Criminal Justice System Chief Executive Officers Standing Committee endorsed the implementation of strategies detailed in the “Business Case for Video Technology in the justice System”.
Cross-Justice Video Conferencing
Corrective Services, along with six other agencies has now implemented operational video conferencing studios across the state. The primary function of these studios is to facilitate the hearing of mentions, inmates’ bail applications and other nominated court matters without the use of external escorts.
During the 2002 calendar year, the Cross Justice Video Conferencing System has dealt with six thousand four hundred and thirty eight (6438) NSW Supreme, District and Local Court matters. In the 2003 calendar year, ten thousand seven hundred and five (10705) NSW Supreme, District and Local Court matters were dealt with via video conferencing. In 2004, more than fifteen thousand four hundred inmate matters (15400) were conducted via video conferencing. The number of video conferences then increased to over sixteen thousand eight hundred and sixty (16860) in the 2005 calendar year. The 2006 year produced seventeen thousand eight hundred and sixty one (17861) inmate court matters facilitated via video conferencing. |
