CAMERAS WILL FACILITATE VISITS.

Byline: Orith Goldberg Staff Writer

CASTAIC - Visiting hours at the county's jails are moving toward virtual visits as the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department experiments with a video program to bring inmates and families together.

The same technology is being considered for court hearings and inmate meetings with lawyers, investigators and even judges.

With an estimated 5,700 visitors Saturdays and Sundays to the Pitchess Detention Center, a pilot project is planned that would allow inmates to speak with visitors via a television monitor and phone line.

The technology is expected to enhance efficiency by limiting the people-moving on visiting days and cut staffing and transportation costs, said Bud DeVusser, operations deputy for the four jails at the Castaic complex.

Eventually, cameras could be used for court arraignments, reducing the need for inmate buses to travel between jails and courts.

``That would save having to ship 350 inmates to arraignments (a day),'' DeVusser said.

A similar program was instituted in May 1999 at the Washoe County Sheriff's Office Detention Facility in Nevada.

Three of the facility's 14 housing units have the video monitors installed, said Michelle Youngs, a spokeswoman for the department. In September, the use of video monitors was expanded to include public inmates' meetings with public defenders, Youngs said. It is too early to determine how much money has been saved in transportation.

However, Youngs noted that there were savings in other areas.

``We know there are some savings in staff escorting inmates and it saves contraband from coming in'' during inmate visits with family and friends, she said.