To: Board of Supervisors
From: David O. Livingston, Sheriff-Coroner
Report Title: SPACEWORX
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Purchasing Agent to execute, on behalf of the Office of the Sheriff, a purchase order with SPACEWORX, in an amount not to exceed $9,009, for a Duramate modular communication booth, for the period November 1, 2024 through October 31, 2025.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Approval of this request will result in up to $9,099 in contractual service expenditures and will be funded 100% by the General Fund.
BACKGROUND:
SPACEWORX is an industry leader in building correctional facility specific privacy booths that allow for purposeful and confidential communication for inmates. This allows inmates to have virtual legal counsel visits and Telehealth appointments for medical and mental health consults, while ensuring confidentiality and enhanced safety of inmates, staff and the facility.
By obtaining a Duramate modular communication booth for the Marsh Creek Detention Facility, inmates will not have to be transported to other facilities for needed and required mental health care appointments. Additionally, due to its remote location, the difficulty for legal counsel to drive to see a client will no longer be an issue with the ability to conduct virtual legal appointments and counsel with complete confidentiality.
This privacy booth is a collaboration between county departments. Both Detention Health and the Public Defender’s Office have given their support to assist the Sheriff’s Office in alleviating geographical and staffing issues by providing inmates with virtual and confidential appointments.
This agreement includes a limitation of liability and indemnification from the County to SPACEWORX.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If the Board does not approve, the Office of the Sheriff will lose the ability to provide needed remote mental health access and appointments to the population of incarcerated people housed at the Marsh Creek Detention Facility. This will greatly impact their health and safety as they will not have direct access to a mental health professional when needed. Additionally, private and confidential conversations between inmates and attorneys via remote capability will be non-existent.