According to Dallas FBI Special Agent Lori Bailey, the fugitives may have fled Texas, and this has prompted the manhunt to go nationwide. The network allows judges to conduct court appearances without having the defendant removed from jail. State officials say the network became a priority in the 1990s, as the state's prison population exploded, growing 122 percent. Although the state built 10 new regional jails to meet the increasing prison population, many of the jails were located several hours from the nearest courthouse. Currently, the courts employ the system only for initial court appearances, but officials say an actual trial conducted over the network is in the near future.
Officials also point out that the network has been a boon for development.
The jails have become the infrastructure hubs of their surrounding areas, prompting merchants to set up shop. Also, medical officials are using the new network to conduct exams.