CANTON, Miss. (AP) - Authorities say the Madison County Sheriff's Department is the first to implement a video arraignment system called CountyLync.

Sheriff Randy Tucker tells WAPT TV (http://bit.ly/SvPziF ) the program reduces labor costs and risks from transporting prisoners to and from the courtroom.

The system will allow criminals to appear before a judge using a web camera without leaving the jail, which the sheriff said will decrease time spent by the bailiffs and increase safety of all involved.

The secure video conferencing, which Tucker said can be used on any PC, greatly increases the efficiency of the judicial system. The sheriff says up to 250 people can join in one conference call and documents can be shown or shared.

Information from: WAPT-TV, http://www.wapt.com

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.