Residents now will have around-the-clock access to the Central Municipal Court of Atlantic County courtesy of a pilot program with Amazon Web Services using CloudHesive ConnectPath.
The AI communications platform includes a multilingual virtual assistant to provide citizens with 24/7 access to court-related information via text messaging.
Real-time responses can be delivered in both English and Spanish to share links to virtual court hearings, court schedules and notices, frequently asked questions, instructional videos and court documentation, and public defender and prosecutor contacts.
“This technology is transforming how we serve the public,” Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson said. “It’s faster than the traditional phone system and has increased capabilities.”
A total of 347 calls came into the court in a single day last week, he said. The system successfully handled 45 percent of those calls directly without the need for agent intervention. There were 190 directed to a live agent, with the system sending 32 text messages with links to requested information, with 24 call-back requests completed.
“The ability to handle these inquiries through this system helps free up staff to concentrate on the daily operations of the court and processing cases,” Levinson said. “This does not replace employees but is used as a tool to enhance efficiency.”
The county also plans to add self-service kiosks in the town halls of the nine participating municipalities that will further improve access and convenience.
“People will be able to pay their court fines in their local town halls or online, saving them from having to travel to the Central Municipal Court in Mays Landing to do so.”
Corbin City, Egg Harbor Township, Estell Manor, Galloway Township, Hamilton Township, Linwood, Port Republic, Ventnor and Weymouth Township participate in the county municipal court system. The average savings is 45 percent compared to what they were paying prior to joining the court.
This year alone, the nine member towns are saving their taxpayers $1.26 million.
The court also provides social service resources and interventions for defendants suffering from mental illness, substance abuse, domestic violence and homelessness. It has a recidivism rate of less than 2 percent.
“The Central Municipal Court is saving costs and changing lives,” Levinson said. “I encourage taxpayers to urge their municipal officials to consider joining. Don’t let an archaic home rule system prevent you from reaping the benefits of a consolidated court.”
