Sheriff's Office

Video Arraignment

Court Transportation Unit - Video Arraignment

As inmate populations continue to grow, so do the challenges associated with transporting inmates to court.

The Washoe County Sheriff's Office Court Transportation Unit always has, and continues to address their responsibilties by:

• Maintaining the safety of the public and the security of the inmate population;
• Ensuring inmates are in court in a timely manner;
• Transporting a large number of inmates to a variety of court locations in a cost-effective manner.

The Washoe County Sheriff's Office implemented a video arraignment system in 1988 to address the problems. Using a web based system and the latest available technology, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office is able to conduct video arraignments between the Sheriff's Detention Facility and the Municipal and Justice courtrooms in the Cities of Reno and Sparks.  We are actively looking to increase the number of poly-com systems into various courtrooms of District Court to further reduce the number of inmate transports from the jail.

There are two courtrooms within the Detention Facility. Each courtroom is supervised by deputies. The system is designed to hold court in two separate locations simultaneously. This eliminates the costs and logistics associated with staffing and maintaining a transportation unit large enough to accommodate this volume. Additionally, by keeping the inmates inside the facility, the safety of court personnel and the general public is not jeopardized.