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S.C. project receives $24.7M in federal funds

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WASHINGTON -- The South Carolina Judiciary Department received a boost in its bank account last week -- $24.7 million in federal funding toward the state's case management integration project.

First championed by former Sen. Fritz Hollings, D-S.C., and completed by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the approval is the final chapter in the long history of the project's development, said state Supreme Court Justice Jean Toal.

The system, first installed in Greenville County, will connect every level of the state's courts with agencies such as law enforcement and corrections facilities to reduce inaccuracies and inefficiencies.

Beaufort County Clerk of Court Elizabeth Smith said county officials plan to meet with the Judiciary Department on Oct. 5 to discuss adding the county to its connected community.

Although the $24,715,412 is not entirely funding the project, Toal said it is the centerpiece allowing the project to move forward, with counties footing the rest of the costs. She said that while other states have similar systems in place, South Carolina is a pioneer for a less-expensive, user-friendly integration.

"We were able to make a case to the federal government that we could serve as a pilot for the use of an Internet-based system for poorer, more rural states like South Carolina and make it relatively easy to use," Toal said.

She said Pickens County and the 5th Circuit Court also have the systems, and the Judiciary Department plans to connect York, Beaufort and Charleston counties next.

Smith said her office has received pieces of the electronic transmissions but looks forward to achieving total digital connection with all the agencies.

"It cuts down on enormous amounts of man hours, duplicative paper work, telephone conferences, miscommunication and a host of data error that interferes with our work," she said.

A spokeswoman with the Greenville County Clerk of Courts said the county went live in November 2003 and has seen positive results.

She said the system has eliminated the need to re-enter data among departments, speeding up the criminal-prosecution process and reducing the chance of inaccurate data. The system also will make court documents consistent from county to county, which the public can access to track cases.

Lauren Wilbert reports for the Medill News Service in Washington. To comment on this story, please go to islandpacket.com.