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NY Videoconferencing system installed in Niagara County Jail

November 29th, 2011
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LOCKPORT — Niagara County Sheriff James R. Voutour told the County Legislature on Monday that a videoconferencing system has been installed at the County Jail for inmates to confer with probation officers and public defenders.

Voutour said six cameras were installed by a private company at no expense to the county. Report by Buffalo News.

He said that eventually state parole officers may use the system to confer with inmates, and perhaps private attorneys also may do so, although he said they would be charged a fee.

Voutour noted that a videoconferencing system installed several years ago in the County Courthouse was a flop, because state law allows defendants to veto the use of cameras for what would normally be courtroom appearances.

The new system “is more of a benefit to other county departments,” Voutour said.

The proposed 2012 county budget cuts four vacant uniformed officer positions and lays off one civilian computer worker.

One of the reductions was a Drug Task Force investigator, who was demoted to deputy to fill a vacant patrol slot.

Voutour urged the Legislature to restore the drug position, which he said would cost the county $75,000, including benefits.

The budget calls for 105 officers, counting patrol deputies and investigators.

When Majority Leader Richard E. Updegrove asked if it was possible to cut the 129-officer jail staff, Voutour said no.

“We do not want the Department of Corrections to do a staffing study on our jail,” Voutour said.

“We’re probably 15 to 20 [officers] short. I try to keep [state Commissioner of Corrections Thomas A.] Beilein away from me. We’re probably leaner than any other jail in the state our size.”

The jail has a prisoner capacity of 499; Monday’s population was 430, Voutour said.

Voutour also has done away with “safe child” identification cards and child car seat installations at various events to save money.

Training for the SWAT and dive teams has been cut 50 percent, and the county’s payment to Mercy Flight was cut almost in half, saving $13,325.

In response to a question from Minority Leader Dennis F. Virtuoso, D-Niagara Falls, Voutour said the county’s dispatching costs will rise if North Tonawanda transfers its police dispatching to the Sheriff’s Office. He wasn’t sure if there would be counteracting revenue.

A meeting on the switchover is set for next week between Voutour and city officials, but the sheriff said there might be some urgency on the city’s side.

“Their phones failed [Monday] in North Tonawanda. They’re working with a cellphone,” Voutour said.

Tammy New York, Technology, Video Use

Robotic Prison Wardens To Patrol South Korean Prison

November 28th, 2011
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The prison guard robot prototype is set to go on trial in March

Robot wardens are about to join the ranks of South Korea’s prison service.

A jail in the eastern city of Pohang plans to run a month-long trial with three of the automatons in March. Report by the BBC News.

The machines will monitor inmates for abnormal behaviour. Researchers say they will help reduce the workload for other guards.

South Korea aims to be a world leaders in robotics. Business leaders believe the field has the potential to become a major export industry.

The three 5ft-high (1.5m) robots involved in the prison trial have been developed by the Asian Forum for Corrections, a South Korean group of researchers who specialise in criminality and prison policies.

It said the robots move on four wheels and are equipped with cameras and other sensors that allow them to detect risky behaviour such as violence and suicide.

Prof Lee Baik-Chu, of Kyonggi University, who led the design process, said the robots would alert human guards if they discovered a problem.

“As we’re almost done with creating its key operating system, we are now working on refining its details to make it look more friendly to inmates,” the professor told the Yonhap news agency.

The one-month trial will cost 1bn won (£554,000) and is being sponsored by the South Korean government.

It is the latest in a series of investments made by the state to develop its robotics industry.

The country’s Ministry of Knowledge Economy said in January that it had spent the equivalent of £415m on research in the sector between 2002 and 2010.

It said the aim was to compete with other countries, such as Japan, which are also exploring the industry’s potential.

In October the ministry said the Korean robot market had recorded 75% growth over the past two years and was now worth about £1bn.

Robots everywhere

Success stories reported by the Korean media include Samsung Techwin’s sale of a robotic surveillance system to Algeria and shipments of the humanoid Hubo robot to six universities in the US.

The South Korean defence company DoDAAM is also developing robotic gun turrets for export which can be programmed to open fire automatically.

Within the country English-speaking robotic teaching assistants are already being deployed in some schools to help children to practise their pronunciation.

The Joongang Daily newspaper reported in August that a company called Showbo had begun mass producing a robot that bowed to shop customers and told them about promotions on offer.

Other firms say they hope to start selling robots to help care for the elderly before the end of the decade, and personal assistant robots further down the line.

The government is also building a Robot Land theme park in the north-west city of Incheon to help highlight the country’s success. Planners say they hope 2.8 million people will visit each year.

Tammy Personnel Issues, South Korea, Technology