Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 27, 1995 TAG: 9503270092
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
The inmates were sent to Texas last month to ease crowding in state prisons and jails, and many of the prisoners' relatives have complained bitterly to state officials about the move. The video-telephone hookup was coordinated by prisoner advocates and the Newton County Detention Center in Newton, Texas.
``It makes a big difference,'' said a weeping Dawn Warren, fiancee of inmate Gregory Coffey, who is serving time for assault. But ``it's more heartbreaking than anything,'' she said.
The families saw and spoke to the inmates from a Richmond church.
There also was an unexpected caller from the Texas end - Ronald Angelone, director of Virginia's Department of Corrections, who was in Texas making a surprise inspection of the prison.
Charles Thomas, a criminology professor at the University of Florida, said he is not aware of any prison system in the country ever trying such a program.
Bobby Ross, president of the company that runs the Newton County prison, said he also is unaware of any similar program.
``I got the idea when I visited the AT&T phone store in the mall and I saw this thing,'' said Ross, who bought the $2,500 worth of equipment for use at both ends. The telephone has a small color screen at the top that offers viewers a rough image of the person at the other end.
Ross said that, if the experiment is successful, he may use it for the 700 Texas inmates who also are being held there.
``A lot of their relatives are 300 or 400 miles away,'' he said.
by CNB