Jail Installs Acoustiblok to Improve Videoconferencing Sound

A big trend in court proceedings these days is videoconferencing between the jail and the courtroom.

It saves money by doing away with the costs and inconveniences of escorting prisoners from one location to the other. But there can be problems.

The Pinellas County Jail in Florida installed a videoconferencing system in 2008 between the jail and the adjacent Pinellas County Court. The system was working correctly, but judges were having a difficult time understanding what people were saying.

The problem: sound reverberations and echo in the room. The concrete walls, floors and ceilings were not only parallel to each other but also totally sound reflective.

While Pinellas County Court technology manager Win Ellwood knew something had to be done, he knew that adding carpet and sound absorbing ceiling tiles was out of the question, and acoustical improvements would minimal.

"We needed a solution that was durable, a solution that was indestructible," says Ellwood. "It had to be something that could be cleaned easily, could not be torn off the wall, is totally fireproof and adheres to all current building codes."

Enter Strike Industries, an integrator that installed 2.25-inch-thick Acoustiblok all-weather sound panels that not only met all of these requirements (including its ability to be hosed down for cleaning), but had a high sound absorption rate (NRC 1.00). The panel was tested by the Miami Dade County hurricane testing lab to withstand 270 mph winds.

"Audio is always a challenge in videoconferencing in correctional institutions," says Strike GM Patrick Sellati. "Jails and prisons are primarily concrete which interferes with these systems, one issue always overlooked by the architects."

Sellati says videoconferencing is revolutionizing prisons across the country, creating new options not only for courtroom appearances, but also for inmate visitation and medical conferencing.

Related: Prison Installations: Are You Missing Out?