NEW BERN, N.C. -
Video cameras could be coming to a jail near you.
Commissioners in Craven County on Monday approved video cameras to be installed in their jail on Clarks Road.
The move would allow inmates to talk face-to-face with a judge without having to be in court for their first appearance, said commissioner Steve Tyson.
The Craven County Sheriff's Office requested it to save money on prisoner transportation costs to and from the jail and the district courthouse in downtown New Bern.
"The pros are that you're not transporting potentially dangerous criminals and saving wear and tear on vehicles and you're saving gas and saving deputies transporting them," said Tyson.
Tyson says the video camera system could cost anywhere from $40,000 to $80,000. He says it should be installed within four to six months.
