By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Jail operations have changed in wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett says the jail is moving away from person-to-person visits as much as possible, using technology so inmates can visit with their lawyers via videoconference.
“We just recently were able to establish some links and we’re doing secure communications for the public defenders office and some of those folks so they can speak to inmates without having to come up here; reducing those face-to-face contacts,” Puett tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline.
Puett says technology has been put into use more now than ever, both at the jail and at the Buchanan County Courthouse.
“With the attorneys and the inmates if they need a brief meeting with their client, the arraignments with the courts not having to take inmates into the courthouse, and those contacts,” Puett says. “Technology works great for lots of things like that.”
Puett says efforts are underway to get the probation and parole workers online.
Visitation at the jail has been canceled for the time being. Puett says though inmates and visitors are separated by plexiglass, visitors often congregate in the lounge area which would be in violation of social distancing practices now enforced.