Jail Construction WebcamIf you're curious as to how construction of the new Redwood City Jail is going,  you can check it out on the web.

The San Mateo County Sheriff's Department has recently set up a webcam which allows anyone with an Internet connection to watch it live from the web.   Deputies have said this provides an unparallelled view of the $165 million project, and the stream is available 24-7.

The Maple Street Correctional Center is still two years out from opening its doors, although corrections officials say they look forward to having the extra space to house and rehabilitate offenders.  At completion, the 280,000 square foot facility will have more than 600 beds and the jail will be strongly focused in providing re-entry programs.

County officials are hopeful that by providing vocational, educational and substance abuse programs will help keep former offenders on the straight and narrow.  Proponents of this plan say they are pleased the San Mateo jails are moving in this type of direction, as they feel locking people up and tossing away the key is hardly the answer.

In terms of the live-stream video, the sheriff's department reportedly said they are recording every moment and intend to put together a time-lapse video of the construction.  That will be available right around the time the facility is complete.

Views from the webcam can be found here.