The Hendry County Board of Commission voted to purchase three stand-alone meeting pods so inmates at the county jail can have private conversations with attorneys — effectively bringing the county back in compliance with federal law.

Without the pods, there is not enough space at the jail to accommodate the meeting needs of the inmates, according to county records.
 
The Sixth Amendment guarantees incarcerated individuals the right to effective assistance of counsel, which courts have interpreted to include confidential, private, and unmonitored communication with their attorneys.  This essential privacy ensures that defense strategies cannot be intercepted by prosecutors or prison officials, allowing for a fair legal process. 

It’s all part of the amendment’s guarantee for a right to public trial without delay. But the lack of adequate meeting space is causing a back-log for the court.

“They are in there so long because they don’t have the appropriate space – the privacy that the law requires so what we are trying to do is accommodate that space for them,” County Commissioner Emma Byrd said ahead of Tuesday’s vote.  
 
The cost for the three pods is roughly $51,000.

No timeline was available for when the pods would be available.    

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