Officials in the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office have found a new supplier of a jail video visitation system after the first company went bankrupt.
Don Gorman of the sheriff's office said the county never installed any of the equipment of the first company, though he said some jails around the country now have some useless equipment.
He said the contract with Securus Technologies will work the same as the first agreement - with no cost to the county. The company will make money by charging those who want to use the system to contact inmates at the jail from their home computers. The charge is $15 for a 30-minute video visit.
Mr. Gorman said that is a bargain, especially considering the difficulty of parking near the jail.
There is no charge for those who go to the jail and use screens there.
Sheriff Jim Hammond said the system will alleviate correctional officers from having to move prisoners downstairs. He said there will be video systems on each floor.
Attorneys will be able to confer with their clients without leaving their offices.