Welcome to the January issue of the Corrections Technology Center of Excellence Monthly Newsletter. You are receiving this information because of your past contact with the NLECTC system. We hope that you find this information on the latest trends and issues in technology informative, and we appreciate your feedback.
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Electronic Monitoring
According to a report from the Rock County, WI Sheriff's office, fewer than one percent of offenders on electronic monitoring are arrested for new crimes. Click here to read the article from GazetteXtra.com
Geo Group Inc. is purchasing Behavioral Interventions (BI) for $415 million. Click here to read the article from Bloomberg.
The Supreme Judicial Court has ruled that homeless sex offenders cannot be punished for not charging their GPS monitoring devices if they are unable to find an outlet. Click here for the article that appears on Boston.com.
The Grant County, NM DUI Prevention Program is hoping that a new electronic monitoring system will help save the county thousands of dollars each year in lieu of jailing DUI offenders. Click here for the article that appears on the Silver City Sun News. |
Drug and Alcohol Testing
The State of Hawaii recently implemented a new law that requires ignition interlock devices for drivers that have their licenses revoked due to DUI. Click here for more information from Star Advertiser.com
Police and Corrections officers in Indianapolis, IN are having success using remote alcohol monitoring systems to monitor past DUI offenders. Click here for the article from theindychannel.com.
TruTouch Technologies recently received additional venture funding from Takata Corp. TruTouch has created a device that uses a flash of light to detect alcohol use in individuals. Click here for more information from the New Mexico Business Weekly. |
Information Technology A recent article on Government Technology.com highlights the expansion of the Michigan Department of Corrections videoconferencing initiative. Click here for the article.
This post on Corrections.com discusses the various laws on the books that states have regarding offender's computer/Internet usage. Click here for more information.
In this article from the NewsFirst5.com, a new video visitation system implemented by the Pueblo County, CO Sheriff's Office is discussed.
A juvenile probation program in Utah that requires offenders to receive automated phone calls one to three times a day, has been shown to dramatically reduce their risk of reoffending. Click here for the article on The Salt Lake Tribune.
The San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency has implemented a software package that performs route optimization and scheduling, and then uploads routes and appointments to in-car GPS units. Click here for more information from Government Technology.
According to the Washington Examiner, beginning in March, the D.C. Department of Corrections will start using live scan fingerprint technology on all visitors to the District's jails. Click here for the article.
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Prison Cell Phone Issues
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has submitted a report to Congress, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), in an effort to investigate and evaluate wireless jamming, detection, and other technologies that might be used to prevent contraband cell phone in prisons. Click here for the full report.
A recent article in Government Technology describes the various technologies that state prisons are using in their battles against cell phones. Click here for the article. Prisoners at a Scottish facility have become very creative with their attempts to charge their contraband cell phones. Click here to read the article from Escapist Magazine. This article from Correctionsone.com discusses the issue of cell phones and smart phones, and their use in the prison systems across the U.S. And according to this article from Security Management, the use of Smart phones has allowed prisoners to voice their issues and concerns to wider audiences via Twitter and other social media sites. The Indiana State Corrections System is also battling with the issue of cell phones in their facilities. Click here to read the article from CourierPress.com. An inmate in Montgomery County, PA is now being charged with murder after he used a wire-tapped cell phone that detectives planted in the facility to make phone calls that implicated him. Click here for the article from Philly.com This article from ABCnews.com discusses the use of cell phones by prisoners to call up "hits." |
Miscellaneous
The New York Times recently ran an article that discussed the use of computer vision to monitor daily human behavior and interactions. One of these technologies was in use at the Mock Prison Riot and is detailed here.
The very popular and free Field Search software is mentioned in an article about the growing sex offender population in the Catskills. Click here to read the article on midhudsonnews.com. |