BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

CANTON -- The St. Lawrence County Public Defender's Office will soon be able to streamline operations after securing a grant for digital imaging services. 

Public Defender James McGahan provided an update to legislators during the Sept. 21 Operations Committee meeting, saying the digitization of files was a project the office had been working on "for some time." 

A resolution was passed last year to secure the grant funding that will allow the office to partner with SecureScan to digitize files, however language for the rollover of unexpended funds was omitted. 

McGahan said the new resolution, which passed unanimously during the meeting, provides that language. 

Under state archive guidance, files must be retained until six years after a case is closed or zero after any minor client reaches 21 years old, whichever is later. 

Following that period, the file must be maintained until the death of the client concerned, 80 years after the date of birth of the client or the client provides instructions on disposition of the file, whichever is earlier. 

McGahan said some confusion years ago over those matters meant that some files were destroyed in previous decades. 

He commented that differing opinions led some to believe files only needed to be maintained for 20 years. 

Officials said the county is in dire need of space, with the files taking up a significant amount of space across numerous buildings. 

Though SecureScan is estimated to cost $307,200 for scanning at $0.12 per image, with secure shredding set to cost $4.75 per box and transport to cost $350 per visit for a duration of 12 months, those expenses will be covered through the grant. 

Once files are digitized, paper copies can largely be destroyed, he said. 

Though there may be some special circumstances under which files must be preserved, McGahan said the process will clear up a significant amount of space. 

Legislator John Burke said he and fellow legislators saw numerous rooms across county facilities that were still storing documents. 

Burke said it would "be great to free up a few shelves" by digitizing documents. 

"This would be more than a few shelves," McGahan commented. 

He said many buildings currently hold the documents, including the former county jail, surrogate building and other buildings on the main campus.

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