Troup County Sheriff Donny Turner proudly announces a new upgrade to the Law Library made available to Troup County Jail inmates.
United States Supreme Court rulings in 1969 and 1970 affirmed the principle that access of prisoners to the courts, for the purpose of presenting their complaints, may not be denied or obstructed; therefore, making it a constitutional right for inmates to have access to an adequate law library (comparable to that of a criminal lawyer) for seeking court remedies and assistance in preparing their petitions to the courts.
According to requirements set forth by law, inmates at the Troup County Jail will continue to be permitted to sign up for their visits to the new Law Library on a one-at-a-time basis (as in the past). Further, they will be given the opportunity to use the computer to research the hard drive only (without internet access); thereby, meeting all requirements for Georgia Standards For Adult Pretrial Detention Facilities (Chapter 17).
The Troup County Jail will be utilizing LexisNexis for this service, which provides legal research solutions for correctional facilities. The external hard drive solution gives us a cost effective alternative to providing inmates with access to case law without the obligation to devote resources to maintaining a traditional legal library. The initial cost for the system was $940.00 (purchased via inmate commissary funds). An external hard drive containing Georgia and Federal law, which will be updated as necessary (four times annually), was purchased at $1,800.00 (via drug forfeiture funds from the Troup County Sheriff’s Office).
Prior to the recent upgrade, the Law Library of the Troup County Jail was maintained in the form of hardback books containing Georgia and Federal law through Troup County’s budgeted funds. On average, $4729.75 had been spent annually (from 2008-2011) on keeping this hard-back library up-to-date (totaling = $18,919.00).
The upgrade came at no cost to Troup County citizens; and, the annual maintenance of the new system will be delivered at a savings of roughly $2,900.00 yearly.
United States Supreme Court rulings in 1969 and 1970 affirmed the principle that access of prisoners to the courts, for the purpose of presenting their complaints, may not be denied or obstructed; therefore, making it a constitutional right for inmates to have access to an adequate law library (comparable to that of a criminal lawyer) for seeking court remedies and assistance in preparing their petitions to the courts.
According to requirements set forth by law, inmates at the Troup County Jail will continue to be permitted to sign up for their visits to the new Law Library on a one-at-a-time basis (as in the past). Further, they will be given the opportunity to use the computer to research the hard drive only (without internet access); thereby, meeting all requirements for Georgia Standards For Adult Pretrial Detention Facilities (Chapter 17).
The Troup County Jail will be utilizing LexisNexis for this service, which provides legal research solutions for correctional facilities. The external hard drive solution gives us a cost effective alternative to providing inmates with access to case law without the obligation to devote resources to maintaining a traditional legal library. The initial cost for the system was $940.00 (purchased via inmate commissary funds). An external hard drive containing Georgia and Federal law, which will be updated as necessary (four times annually), was purchased at $1,800.00 (via drug forfeiture funds from the Troup County Sheriff’s Office).
Prior to the recent upgrade, the Law Library of the Troup County Jail was maintained in the form of hardback books containing Georgia and Federal law through Troup County’s budgeted funds. On average, $4729.75 had been spent annually (from 2008-2011) on keeping this hard-back library up-to-date (totaling = $18,919.00).
The upgrade came at no cost to Troup County citizens; and, the annual maintenance of the new system will be delivered at a savings of roughly $2,900.00 yearly.
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