PRISON VIDEO LINKS LAUNCHED AT MAIDSTONE CROWN COURT

8 Mar 2004 11:15 AM

Prison Video Links (PVL) go live in Maidstone Crown Court today. The PVL project allows preliminary hearings for defendants in custody via video conference to the prison, saving time and money.

Maidstone Crown Court is one of 30 Crown Courts to have this equipment installed. The cost of the equipment at each of the courts is 50,000, apart from the Central Criminal Court in London. The cost of the equipment for all the courts is 2.3 million. The courts were selected as those that will bring the greatest benefits across the Criminal Justice System (CJS).

Courts Minister, Christopher Leslie, said "I am pleased that Maidstone Crown Court will now benefit from the use of prison video link technology. It's being introduced after it was successfully piloted between Manchester Crown Court and Manchester Prison in 1999 and following the implementation of PVL technology linking 156 Magistrates' Courts with 57 prisons.

"The Prison Service successfully bid to fund the installation of additional virtual courtrooms at various prisons to meet the extra demand created by 30 Crown Courts which will be using this equipment.

"As well as enabling courts to link to the prison, this equipment will allow vulnerable and intimidated witnesses to give evidence from locations inside and outside the court building that have the relevant technology. It also allows evidence to be presented electronically."

This is just one facet of modernisation that is taking place within the CJS and it will bring many benefits such as:

* Reduce hearing delays

* Improve security

* Cut costs to the Criminal Justice System (CJS)

* Less prisoner movements thereby requiring less prison staff time

* Reduced risk of absconding

* Reduction in judicial time wasted waiting for remand prisoners to arrive at court

* More effective preliminary hearings as a result of the above

PVLs support the Government's aims for the CJS by improving public protection and promoting confidence in the rule of law, allowing court users and the general public to benefit from greater safety, efficiency and value for money.

It also supports the efforts of the Department for Constitutional Affairs and Prison Service in meeting the Government's targets on electronic delivery and joined-up Government.

Manchester Crown Court has been using PVLs for four years, mainly for preliminary and plea and directions hearings.

His Honour Judge Maddison, the Honorary Recorder of Manchester Crown Court, said "In my view it works extremely well. Technical hitches are rare and quickly corrected when they arise.

"By the use of suitably equipped booths outside the Courtroom, the prisoners may have private conferences with their legal
representatives before and, if necessary, during the hearings. The prisoners are able to see and hear all those involved in the court proceedings and contribute to the proceedings. Providing that legal representatives attend Court promptly, the system lends itself to the expeditious disposal of business. It also avoids the expense and inconvenience (not least to the prisoners themselves) of bringing them to and returning them from court for hearings which themselves are very short, in particular the expense of bringing High Risk, Category A, prisoners.

"For these reasons, I regard the prison video link system as a most welcome procedural development."

Note to editors: 1. The 30 Crown Courts identified to have this equipment are: Basildon, Birmingham, Blackfriars, Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Carlisle, Central Criminal Court, Inner London, Kingston, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Luton, Manchester, Maidstone, Newcastle, Nottingham, Portsmouth, Preston, Reading, Sheffield, Snaresbrook, Southampton, Southwark, St Albans, Stoke on Trent, Swansea, Teesside and Wolverhampton.

ENDS

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