Transport Section
The Transport Section is responsible for transporting incarcerated defendants to a variety of places, these destinations are not limited to the boundaries of Cobb County.
The fleet for the Transport Section involves a number of vehicles, specialized for the transport of inmates. At their disposal are vans, cage trucks, and buses. Occupancy in a vehicle varies from two to XX.
This
is a cage truck that can be configured to transport a number of inmates. Specific panels are
adjustable to allow solitary confinement of an inmate or to maximize the number of inmates carried
in a single trip. The temperature inside the containment area is monitored via a remote register
in the cab of the truck. Each vehicle is equipped with emergency equipment, first aid, local radio
communication, and state wide communication equipment.
This
type of vehicle has a maximum occupancy of ten (10) inmates. These are utilized for light
duty court appearances and special runs. A special run constitutes many scenarios. For instance, a special
run could carry a small number of inmates to a state operated facility for the purpose of transfer of custody. This
transfer of custody relinquishes our responsibility and begins the inmate's sentence of incarceration.
The average number of inmates, detained in the facilities of the Sheriff's Office, appearing for
court has steadily grown over the years. Due to this increasing number, a heavy duty vehicle is required to carry the
large groups. The solution is specially modified buses, shown below. These are similar to a school bus but possess safety equipment to guard
against escape and public safety risks.
Each bus has safety guards over the
windows. The seating area is enclosed
by cages at the front and rear of the bus. In addition, each bus is equipped with air conditioning to regulate temperature in
the South's hot summers. Many elements employed are done so by precedence and out of necessity.
This type of
vehicle is used primarily to transport the
inmates to court appearances or to the state's central processing point. Many of the inmates sentenced to the state
prison system are transferred to the central processing facility of Jackson State Prison. Unfortunately, in Cobb County the number of
inmates being transported to serve state sentences often is large enough to require the use of this type of vehicle.