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| Florida County to Add Two Courtrooms at Jail |
| By Orlando Sentinel |
| Published: 06/03/2002 |
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In a step toward more efficiently moving defendants through the justice system, Orange County commissioners recently approved spending $10.7 million to build two courtrooms and plan space for a third at the county jail. The project, endorsed by Chairman Rich Crotty's Jail Oversight Commission, is designed to save money in the long run by slashed transportation and housing costs. 'I wish this was happening tomorrow,' Corrections Chief Tim Ryansaid of the courtrooms, slated to open in 2005. 'You want to be able to bring services to the inmates. That way you reduce risks of escape, you reduce transportation costs and you reduce the chance for contraband to get into the system.' The Jail Oversight Commission presented its 202 recommendations to the county commission three weeks ago, which culminated 10 months of work by some of the area's top judicial, law enforcement and government officials. Adding courtrooms to the jail was one of its top priorities, supported by county judges as well as the Orange-Osceola State Attorney Lawson Lamar and Public Defender Bob Wesley, who served on the commission. The move was approved unanimously. 'I'm certain this is one of the most important concepts developed by the Jail Oversight Commission,' Crotty said. Adding the courtrooms -- and space for attorneys and court staffers -- to the ongoing $95 million jail expansion project should help reduce the need for further costly expansion, according to county officials. The thinking is that jailhouse courtrooms would allow public defenders and assistant state attorneys to participate in an inmate's first appearances. Currently, they're conducted via video camera with little interaction. Involving everyone on the front end would allow formal charges to be read right away, something that doesn't happen in Orange now until about 30 days later. Speeding up the process, the reasoning goes, would reduce the time inmates must wait in jail. 'It's the right thing to do,' said Commissioner Clarence Hoenstine. Since the oversight commission was appointed, commissioners have hired Ryan and approved spending $9.2 million on computer systems to track inmates and their medical needs and more than $2 million to hire additional nursing staff. On June 7, commissioners will be asked to approve a study analyzing possible racial disparities at the jail. |
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