May 29, 2009
States are expanding videoconferencing in prisons
Faced with the high costs of transporting and escorting sick inmates to the doctor, states are expanding their use of videoconferencing to provide health consultations to prisoners without resorting to costly — and sometimes dangerous — off-site trips. And the concept is growing beyond medical care.
Illinois is considering joining at least 26 other states that use telemedicine to help sick prisoners get advice from doctors, said Derek Schnapp, a spokesman with the state Department of Corrections. State prison officials recently met with their counterparts from Texas, which has been using telemedicine for years and is considered a national leader, to discuss whether it should be introduced in Illinois.
Elsewhere, videoconferencing in prisons and jails is replacing inmates' in-person trips to the courtroom or parole board, and even the way family members visit…
LINK - Richmond TimesDispatch.com
