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TMCNet: Agency to focus on jail visits

[April 02, 2012]

Agency to focus on jail visits

SEBRING, Apr 02, 2012 (Highlands Today - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Obviously, the inside of the Highlands County Jail is nothing like the jail run by TV's Mayberry Sheriff Andy Taylor, played by actor/comedian Andy Griffith.

There's no key hanging next to the cell door for inmates to let themselves out.

There's no fancy lunch tray with a fresh flowers from Aunt Bee, no lace doilies and, with the introduction of video visitation around January 2004, inmates do not get face-to-face visits from anyone except their lawyers.

Or perhaps an occasional ministerial visit on a special occasion, or in the event of a death in the family, explained Highlands sheriff's detention Maj. David Paeplow.

The Highlands County Sheriff's Office will soon rid itself of an antiquated video system and take advantage of updated technology, he said.

"What we have, it's not high-definition," Paeplow said.

They have received six bids from vendors. The original vendor is out of business, and the sheriff's office has no technical support on the current system when things break, he added.

The jail has 16 visitation stations. Each housing unit has at least one.

"We can handle at least 16 visitations at one time, all day long," Paeplow said.

The bids are in the hands of the jail procurement folks.

He estimated it would take about 30 days before a decision was made.

"There is a lot of information to evaluate," he said, with the final decision likely falling on administrative shoulders, depending upon the funding source.

"We're hoping to use grant funding to pay for it," Paeplow said, perhaps using several possible grants.

They'll be replacing what they have. No additional stations will be installed. The visitation stations are located at the Orange Street entrance to the jail, Paeplow said.

There may be one exception to that -- a possible off-site video visitation station from the Public Defender's Office.

"We're asking for those capabilities," Paeplow said.

All calls to inmates are recorded and may be monitored, he said.

"There may be exceptions to recording if it is a member of the clergy or an attorney," he said.

___ (c)2012 the Highlands Today (Sebring, Fla.) Visit the Highlands Today (Sebring, Fla.) at www.highlandstoday.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

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