Technology In Corrections

This technology brief is part of a series of documents that focuses on contraband in corrections. This document specifically focuses on detection and management of cell phones. Additional documents provide information on contraband, including types of associated technologies and products used to detect contraband on people, in vehicles, and in an environment. The goal of this series is to offer foundational insights from use cases, highlight challenges of contraband detection, compare illustrative products, and discuss the future of contraband detection and management.

This paper will address the use of smartphone applications installed on a client’s personal device, or a device provided to the client, to be used in support of the community supervision process.

Background Mobile technology holds promise as a recovery tool for people with substance use disorders. However, some populations who may benefit the most may not have access to or experience with mobile phones. Incarcerated women represent a group at high risk for recidivism and relapse to substance abuse. Cost-effective mechanisms must be in place to support their recovery upon release. This study explores using mobile technology as a recovery management tool for women offenders residing in the community following release from jail.

Sanders, Frank H., Johnk, Robert T., Drocella, Edward F.

"Clear back on February 4, 2013, I gave some predictions for the coming year. I never finished my thoughts, getting waylaid by co-writing a book on Internet investigations. Sorry about that. One of my last comments was… “what about the remainder of my 2013 predictions, such as sex offender Internet restrictions?” It would obviously be silly to continue on with my Nostradamus imitation this late in the year. But what about my ending comment concerning Internet restrictions? Where are they? As luck would have it we had a lot movement on Internet restrictions that warrant mentioning."

"The technology can catch prisoners in the act when they try to use illegal prison cellphones"

"Cell phones are a continuous threat inside correctional facilities; here’s how you can find and stop this type of contraband before it becomes a problem in your prison or jail"

"A widespread technology that allows people to connect with anyone, anywhere, has created concerns for corrections officials. The use of inexpensive, disposable cell phones has changed the age-old cat-and-mouse game of controlling whom inmates communicate with in the outside world and is creating serious problems for public safety officials."

"An inmate escaped from a Kansas prison allegedly with the aid of a phone smuggled in by an accomplice.1 In Texas, a death row inmate charged with killing four persons, including two teenage girls, allegedly used a wireless phone from within the prison to threaten a prominent state senator and his family.2 These incidents serve as just two examples where individuals used cell phones to facilitate criminal acts from within a correctional institution."

"PUTTING AN END TO ILLEGAL CELL PHONE USE IN PRISONS
The FCC has made it a top priority to put an end to illegal cell phone use by inmates in prisons. Contraband cell phones have been used by inmates to arrange the murder of witnesses and public safety officers, traffic in drugs, and manage criminal enterprises. This illegal practice jeopardizes the safety of America’s communities and public safety officials."

"Mobile devices support life-saving counseling and help inmates develop real-world job skills that may decrease recidivism."

"In 2015, the United States Department of Education announced the Second Chance Pell Pilot Program, aimed at supporting postsecondary education programs for people in prison. The success of such programs and the students they serve depends on the quality of partnerships between colleges and corrections agencies. To support the implementation of new partnerships and strengthen new ones, this fact sheet shares lessons learned from the development and implementation of Vera’s Unlocking Potential: Pathways from Prison to Postsecondary Education demonstration project, launched in 2012."

"Thhis month, inmates in more than 100 American penal institutions will begin receiving federal financial aid for higher education for the first time in more than two decades.

Adding Up the True Cost of Tax Breaks for Big Tech’s Data Centers
That’s good news for men and women in prison - 95 percent of whom will be released back into the community at some point. But bringing the benefits of a college degree to the greatest number of incarcerated people will require fundamentally changing how we deliver educational programming to prisoners."

"For most of the developed world, internet access is a given. Google, Amazon, Facebook offer a privileged world of communication, entertainment, shopping and education that many of us take for granted. Unless, that is, you happen to be incarcerated.

"The prison system has been notoriously slow to adopt new technology. That needs to change."

"A Panel Discussion in Three Parts
• Law Enforcement Applications
• Threats to Secure Facilities
• Drone Law"

"Hello and welcome to Drones, Implications for Corrections. My name is Marybeth and I will be in the background answering any WebEx technical questions. If you experience technical difficulty at any time during this event please submit your issue in the chat panel and I will assist you. You may also contact WebEx technical support at (866)779-3239. All attendees will be in a listen only mode throughout the duration of today's call. As a reminder today's call is being recorded.

"Prison inmates, a remarkably ingenious bunch, are disrupting long-standing methods of smuggling drugs, porn and cellphones the same way online retailers hope to one day deliver socks and underwear to American homes - through the air, with drones."

"Drones are increasingly being used in attempts to smuggle drugs and other contraband into prisons worldwide. Previously, smugglers had to bribe guards, use their body cavities or have accomplices sneak forbidden items through prison visitation. All of that is now changing with the availability of commercial unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones."

"There is evidence of a considerable increase in the unauthorized use of small, inexpensive Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS or “drones”) by individuals and organizations, including companies. The FAA retains the responsibility for enforcing Federal Aviation Regulations, including those applicable to the use of UAS. The agency recognizes though that State and local Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) are often in the best position to deter, detect, immediately investigate, 1 and, as appropriate, 2 pursue enforcement actions to stop unauthorized or unsafe UAS operations.

Minnesota Department Of Corrections - Policy and procedures on the management of drones.

"It was your usual stockpile of prison contraband: six tightly wrapped packages filled with drugs, tobacco, rolling papers, and porn. But instead of smuggling them into prison the traditional ways (employees, visitors, baked goods), Maryland inmate Charles Brooks arranged to have a drone fly the cargo over a 12-foot barbed-wire fence and drop them in the yard. Drone smuggling operations are an increasing nuisance to correctional facilities around the world.

"In March, an inmate in Maryland was convicted of conspiring with two other men to fly drugs and other contraband into a maximum-security prison aboard a drone, reported the Baltimore Sun. The men were attempting to use the drone to drop packages of prescription narcotics, synthetic marijuana, pornography videos, tobacco and a cell phone."

"Creating change in the criminal justice field does not often go over well. But, like life, change in law enforcement is inevitable. Both crime and crime-prevention strategies are always evolving in response to technological advances. One of the more recent and highly prolific technological developments involves unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), more commonly known as drones. These airborne devices have quickly become an effective tool for criminal activity.

"Legal drone delivery may still be a ways off, but quadcopters have been smuggling contraband into prisons for years now. Quadcopters are cheap enough and powerful enough to carry a few pounds of goods, like cigarettes, knives, cell phones, or drugs over a prison fence, and they're sometimes even recovered from the drop to do it again. Prisons, which understandably don’t want drones to do this, are now looking for ways to keep the robots out."

"BISHOPVILLE, S.C. - During the graveyard shift at 1:44 a.m., security cameras at the prison here picked up the blinking lights of an unidentified flying object approaching the facility’s fence. A corrections officer was dispatched to investigate, but by the time she got there, all she could see was a man running away into the dense forest that surrounds the prison."

Basic Law Enforcement Response D.R.O.N.E. & FAA drone incident reporting cheat sheets.

This paper discusses the origins and history of Electronic Monitoring and the literature concerning its effects on pretrial outcomes, such as failure to appear (FTA), re-arrest for a new crime while on release, or technical violations, such as curfew violations, unauthorized absences, or tampering with EM equipment. This paper does not address EM imposed after conviction. Research has found that individuals subject to EM behave differently in pre and post-trial settings.

For several decades, supervision agencies have been leveraging a variety of technological innovations to better manage justice-involved individuals in the community. Perhaps no tool has captured the imagination of the criminal justice professionals and the public alike as much as location tracking system (LTS) technology, first introduced in 1996. The ability to track an individual in near-real time represented a substantial improvement over the previous technology, which was limited to monitoring an individual’s presence at a fixed location, usually the home.

"OJP funds development, evaluation, and testing of technology to help ensure public safety, and help state and local communities better use existing technology. Technology helps to improve public safety in several ways. For example, enhanced criminal records and identification systems keep high-risk individuals from obtaining weapons or positions of trust. Closed-circuit television allows young victims or witnesses of crime to testify in a less-intimidating setting. Bulletproof vests and less-lethal weapons mitigate risk to law enforcement officers.

"This white paper is a survey of technological trends, current and potential, which are likely to impact the corrections environment in the next 3-5 years. The aim is to provide a ‘one stop’ high-level overview for the leadership of correctional agencies and their information technology (IT) organizations, to help understand how these capabilities are evolving, and anticipate where technology may be applied to address current and future business problems.

"The CorrectionsOne Corrections Video Surveillance product category is a collection of information, product listings and resources for researching video surveillance, also know as Video Monitoring. It covers a wide range of information gathering software systems."

"Currently, most prisons deploy some type of surveillance and access control system. One technology that many detention centers have not fully tapped into is audio. For wardens looking to enhance a current security solution at a cost-effective price, deploying audio monitoring through microphones and sound sensors is the answer."

"One researcher reflects on the challenges and opportunities associated with implementing and evaluating criminal justice technologies. As criminologists, we are typically well trained in evaluation methodology but less so in the issues and nuances associated with technology deployment. When we evaluate criminal justice technology, we must understand both the capacity of the technology and how people use it. Focusing on one at the expense of the other can render the entire evaluation effort futile."

"The Justice Technology Information Center (JTIC) plays a key role in the success of the entire NLECTC system, serving as the information hub. JTIC, through vehicles such as JUSTNET, Facebook®, Twitter and You Tube™, disseminates the information that decision makers need on innovations in the sustainable technology that is transforming the criminal justice system. It is the “go-to source” for those who make decisions regarding the evaluation, selection and purchase of proven and tested methods, equipment and technology.

"The Multi-jurisdiction Kiosk Study was designed to expand and strengthen the evidence base on kiosk reporting used to supervise probationers and parolees. The research study collected and implementation experiences of adopters of this approach, and outcomes and costs associated with its use. In addition to enhancing the evidence base, the research findings informed the development of a practical guidebook on adoption and implementation that will help community supervision agencies make knowledgeable decisions about kiosk reporting.

"NIJ identifies the technology needs of parole and probation agencies as well as other community-based programs and, whenever possible, draws on directly available technology that can be quickly adapted for use by these organizations."

"The offender tracking system standard defines minimum performance requirements and test methods for location and tracking systems used by law enforcement and correction officers to monitor and communicate the whereabouts of offenders within the community.

"Offender tracking systems generate vast amounts of data; however, community corrections agencies that operate offender tracking programs report that it is often difficult to share this data. This problem is most clearly manifested in cases where an agency is ending its contractual relationship with one offender tracking provider and moving to another. Agencies have expressed a desire to automatically transfer as much information as possible (e.g. demographic data, location data, violation and alert data) from a previous provider to populate the data fields of the new providers software.

"It all started with a traffic violation. Antonio Green didn’t have a license and admits he shouldn’t have been driving. But when his mother’s 1994 Chrysler Sebring broke down at a Taco Bell near their home in October last year, he decided to drive over to fix it."

"The number of accused and convicted criminal offenders in the United States who are monitored with ankle bracelets and other electronic tracking devices rose nearly 140 percent over 10 years, according to a survey conducted in December 2015 by The Pew Charitable Trusts. More than 125,000 people were supervised with the devices in 2015, up from 53,000 in 2005.

"NIJ identifies the technology needs of parole and probation agencies as well as other community-based programs and, whenever possible, draws on directly available technology that can be quickly adapted for use by these organizations."

"The first electronic monitoring (EM) devices were developed in the 1960s with the intent of providing feedback to young-adult-offender volunteers to facilitate their rehabilitation, but that approach was not widely accepted. Following their reemergence in the 1980s in support of a more punitive model of offender treatment, such devices were used principally for home detention applications. By 1990 radio-frequency (RF) technologies were in-use in all 50 states."

"Each year, millions of pretrial defendants and convicted offenders are supervised in their communities as they await trial or serve periods of probation or parole. Local and state agencies are increasingly using electronic monitoring (EM) technologies to supplement supervision, tracking where offenders go and whether they are using alcohol or drugs.

"Two NIJ-supported studies with very different results show that GPS technology may be used to help prevent crime in various ways."

"Electronic monitoring (EM) has a well-established place in the U.S. correctional landscape as a tool for supervising offenders living in the community. Statistics on the extent of EM use vary, but a recent projection estimated about 200,000 units in use. The use of EM technology is expected to grow considerably as more legislation is passed calling for expanded use of EM supervision for offenders. Most states have passed legislation governing the use of EM technology, and some call for lifetime monitoring of certain offender populations.

"Two NIJ-supported studies with very different results show that GPS technology may be used to help prevent crime in various ways. Using sophisticated technology to control crime generally appeals to both the public and policymakers because it prompts visions of reduced crime and improved safety. GPS technology can track an offender's movements in real time and is designed to reduce crime by enhancing the likelihood that law enforcement will detect criminal behavior.

"Franklin County Adult Probation office is watching more than 100 offenders through the use of electronic gadgets"

"The main purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of Electronic Monitoring Home Detention (EMHD) program on post-program recidivism status of those who have participated in the program. The second objective of this study is to determine what factors best predict post-EMHD program recidivism. A binary logistic regression analysis was performed on a fourteen-variable model attempting to predict post-program recidivism status for the subjects who have been sentenced in the EMHD program. The analyses of the data in this study are based on a total of 293 subjects.

"Home confinement or house arrest—with and without electronic monitoring (or EM)—is an intermediate community corrections program designed to restrict the activities of juvenile offenders in the community. Home confinement restricts juvenile offenders’ freedom by requiring them to remain at home during specified times: at all times, at all times except when in school or working, or at night—that is, curfews (Austin, Johnson, and Weitzer 2005).

"Franc Cano and Steven Dean Gordon proved not once but allegedly twice that GPS trackers can't stop criminal activity"

"Agents are drowning in a flood of meaningless data, masking alarms that could signal real danger"

"Electronic monitoring (EM) looms high on the list of alternatives to incarceration for corrections officials seeking solutions to overcrowded prisons and budget deficits. First used in 1983, today some 200,000 people in the United States wear some sort of electronic monitor, typically an ankle bracelet required as a condition of probation, parole, bail or house arrest."

"Dedicated to reporting developments in technology for law enforcement, corrections, and forensic sciences."

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"Automated kiosk reporting systems have gained popularity in recent years as community supervision agencies strive to provide quality supervision services at reduced costs. This guidebook, which provides community supervision agencies with an overview of automated kiosk reporting systems, is based primarily on the findings of a multi-jurisdiction kiosk study on the use of automated kiosk reporting systems to supervise clients placed under community supervision.

This paper discusses the origins and history of Electronic Monitoring and the literature concerning its effects on pretrial outcomes, such as failure to appear (FTA), re-arrest for a new crime while on release, or technical violations, such as curfew violations, unauthorized absences, or tampering with EM equipment. This paper does not address EM imposed after conviction. Research has found that individuals subject to EM behave differently in pre and post-trial settings.

This report reviews the current and projected status of wearable technologies with potential for use by law enforcement and describes three conceptual integrated vest systems that incorporate these technologies. These three systems are meant to represent what could conceivably be implemented very quickly to enhance existing capabilities, what might be done in the near term to provide additional capabilities, and what might be considered to take advantage of technologies that are still in development and could provide even greater capabilities.

"Richard Berk designs computer algorithms that predict crime. As courts and cops increasingly use his and similar tools to shape everything from parole decisions to street policing, Berk has a warning: accuracy comes at the cost of fairness, and citizens must decide where justice lies."

"Called the Technological Incarceration Project, the idea is to make not so much an internet of things as an internet of incarceration.

Professor Hunter's team is researching an advanced form of home detention, using artificial intelligence, machine-learning algorithms and lightweight electronic sensors to monitor convicted offenders on a 24-hour basis."

"Planning for Saturday’s protest duplicates how inmates in 24 states used Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in September to stage a work strike on the 45th anniversary of the Attica prison uprising to protest prison conditions, which they called “modern-day slavery.”"

"Technological advancement is, in theory, a welcome development. But in practice, aspects of automation are making the justice system less fair for criminal defendants. The root of the problem is that automated criminal justice technologies are largely privately owned and sold for profit. The developers tend to view their technologies as trade secrets. As a result, they often refuse to disclose details about how their tools work, even to criminal defendants and their attorneys, even under a protective order, even in the controlled context of a criminal proceeding or parole hearing."

"Called the Technological Incarceration Project, the idea is to make not so much an internet of things as an internet of incarceration.

Professor Hunter's team is researching an advanced form of home detention, using artificial intelligence, machine-learning algorithms and lightweight electronic sensors to monitor convicted offenders on a 24-hour basis."

"Program aims to reduce tension between inmates while offering them more educational opportunities and contact with friends and family"

"The report (summary below) by the US Department of Justice addressing possible connections between terrorism and mass murders raises a perplexing question; do law enforcement and correctional agencies have the ability to monitor social media accounts to detect these events?

The report focuses on potential warnings through social media. I’m extending the conversation of social media threats to day-to-day criminal activity."

"A national scan of practice among law enforcement agencies across the United States reveals that they use social media to notify the public of safety concerns, manage public relations, and gather evidence for criminal investigations. The Urban Institute and the International Association of Chiefs of Police partnered to develop a comprehensive understanding of law enforcement’s use of social media.

"How do terrorists organize? According to the 9/11 Commission Report, it took a tight and complex organization to recruit and infiltrate the hijackers into the United States, and to plan and oversee the simultaneous hijacking of multiple airplanes. The investigation also concluded that the network was for the most part based abroad, and they found no evidence of substantial financial support for the hijackers from within the United States.

"In recent years, social media has become a valuable tool for community supervision agencies to monitor and address the activities of people on probation or parole, and in the pre-sentencing investigations of people charged with crimes. This webinar shares emerging research regarding the importance of establishing policies around the use of social media by community corrections administrators, managers and supervisors including the administration of social media content; setting expectations for appropriate employee personal use; and investigation and supervision standards."

"This paper was developed to elevate the awareness of the potential of social media, also known as social networking, in the field of community corrections. Monitoring client activity on social media can be an important component of the investigation or supervision process, however with opportunities come challenges. This paper will highlight the importance of establishing policies around social media use and identify some of the issues community corrections agencies may encounter as they incorporate social media in their investigation and supervision practices.

"The nature of identity has changed dramatically in recent years and has grown in complexity. Identities are defined in multiple domains: biological and psychological elements strongly contribute, but biographical and cyber elements also are necessary to complete the picture. Law enforcement is beginning to adjust to these changes, recognizing identity’s importance in criminal justice.

"Commissioner Robert Coupe today announced the launch of the official Department of Correction Twitter and Facebook pages. These resources have been developed to enhance communication with Delawareans by providing the public with real-time news and information, including time-sensitive notices about offenders and Department facilities, and updates on expanding resources offered to victims, offenders’ families, and others.

"This document will provide guidelines for use of social media within the N.C. Department of Public Safety, in accordance with the North Carolina Office of the Governor’s “Best Practices for Social Media Usage in North Carolina”.

"Program aims to reduce tension between inmates while offering them more educational opportunities and contact with friends and family"

The debate over prison reform seems sharply divided between those who want to see stricter sentencing and harsher punishment and those who want to move toward a more rehabilitative system. Despite very real differences between these two philosophies, there may be one issue that both sides can agree on - inmate tablets.

"For seasoned corrections officers, the notion of freely handing out expensive electronic tablet devices to an incarcerated population seems absolutely absurd. I was guilty of the same opinion until I took a deeper look at this new generation of inmate program management. This article highlights current pilot programs and the opportunity cost to issuing tablets to inmates in jails and prisons."

"The Colorado Department of Corrections (DOC) is somewhat of an early adopter of emerging communications technology. For several years it has offered electronic messaging, an email-like service that allows people in prison to send and receive messages using a proprietary, fee-based platform operated by a contractor. Colorado DOC’s electronic messaging program isn’t perfect, but its rollout was notable for giving people a new communication option.

"Over the past several years Edovo tablets have been adopted in jails in Alabama, California and Pennsylvania, as well as facilities operated by the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice. In those jurisdictions, the tablets are made available to prisoners at a cost of about $2 per day - the tablets are typically purchased using funds from inmate welfare accounts, and provided to prisoners at no cost.

"The concept is simple: Seed inmates with feature-limited Galaxy Tab S2s. The inmates typically have access to only educational and vocational apps, through in some cases they can use the tablets to read ebooks, prepare for upcoming court cases, or communicate with family members. “We provide technology solutions that provide better outcomes for the incarcerated,” Grewe said at the beginning of our interview. “Prisons don’t need to be dangerous places. They can be constructive.”"

"RESTON, Va., June 7, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Global Tel*Link (GTL), the leading provider of correctional technology solutions and an innovator in payment services solutions for government agencies, today announced that by working closely with the Pima County Corrections Bureau, it has successfully completed a pilot program and will now expand the program making tablets available to all 2,300 inmates. These secure tablets are equipped with features which allow inmates to work on personal rehabilitation while serving their sentences."

"America has the highest prison rates of any nation in the world, but we do a poor job at providing opportunities for prisoners to turn their lives around using the time they spend in jail. A dwindling number of inmates have access to education programs today. In the last two decades, spending on corrections has quadrupled in the U.S. But spending on education within prisons continues to shrink."

"Of the many difficulties incarcerated people face, losing contact with loved ones may be among the most damaging. Research has shown that maintaining community ties can improve their health and well-being, decrease their sense of isolation, reduce symptoms of anxiety and stress, and improve their feelings of control and involvement in family life. Furthermore, research suggests that receiving any visit at all during incarceration reduces the risk of someone committing a new offense or violating conditions of parole when they are released.

The more incarcerated people get to visit with their loved ones while they’re serving time, the less likely they are to reoffend later on. Research has repeatedly shown it. Just where video visitation rights fall into that, though, has become a serious point of contention.

"Inmates in prisons across Alabama would soon have access to tablet computers under a new plan by the state Department of Corrections aimed in part at reducing the high cost of calling home from behind bars."

"A federal appeals court on Tuesday said regulators went too far in trying to rein in the high cost of phone calls for prison inmates. In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit sided with phone service companies in finding that the Federal Communications Commission had exceeded its authority. The ruling is a setback for prison reform advocates who have been fighting for years to reduce the prices imposed by a handful of private companies."

"Jailhouse visits like this one between family members and inmates are starting to make a comeback, replacing a decades long trend of requiring families to use Skype-like video technology in which families dial in from a computer at home, a public library or inside the jail itself to talk to a loved one who is incarcerated."

"In 2012, NIJ awarded the Vera Institute of Justice a multiyear grant to conduct the first-ever systemwide evaluation of video visitation technology for prisons. The study is using a mixed-methods design to better understand how to create policies about family-inmate contact, inform investment decisions and policies related to video visitation technology, and to understand video visitation’s role in reducing recidivism."

"The installation of the scanner in Orange County Jail has cut down on inmates sneaking in drugs"

"In 2012, the Hamilton County Jail in southwest Ohio was the first jail in the state to purchase a SecurPass full-body digital scanner, using a $243,000 federal grant. Thereafter, prisoners at the facility were subjected to scans in addition to strip searches during intake. Jail officials reported the device revealed a small gun, a screwdriver, pocket knives, balloons filled with drugs and numerous other hidden items. But in August 2013 the Ohio Health Department ordered the county to stop using the scanner. Why?

"Many people have a misconception of what some types of body scanners can do"

"Body scanners are used to screen for contraband in a variety of places. Airports, schools, government buildings, and corrections facilities are examples of the types of places that have employed body scanners. Different types of body scanners have different capabilities based on the imaging technologies used and the sophistication of the internal system analysis.

As opioid overdoses spiral, first responders and public health agencies are adopting a smartphone application that tracks both deaths and rescues as they happen.

This article was originally published at Stateline, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts, and was written by Christine Vestal.

In the summer of 2016, drug overdose deaths in Baltimore were exploding and health commissioner Dr. Leana Wen told federal Drug Enforcement Administration officials the city needed real-time data to better manage its public health response.

"OSM is a web app for officers and a smartphone
app for offenders:
• Offers all the traditional supervision tools to ensure an offender is held liable for their actions while protecting the public.The OSM app also distributes rehabilitative resources and gathers the data needed to document what truly reduces recidivism
• Revolutionizing and reducing recidivism"

"Hello and welcome to leading with innovation virtual conference November 9, 2016 and my name is Sarah and I will be in the background answering any technical questions. If you experience any technical difficulty please let your technical difficulty and I will assist you. You may contact our WebEx technical support at 1866779 3239. Please note that as an attendee you are part of a larger audience today. Due to privacy concerns be attendee list is not displayed. All attendees will be in a listen only mode throat the duration of today's call and as reminder, this call is being recorded.

"Staying in shape is the easiest thing you can do to keep yourself safe as a corrections officer. But where can you find time to work out when you’re working a 12-hour shift? These ten phone apps, varied between iOS and Android, are just for that. Whether it’s a handful of minutes or a break on your weekend, make the most of your free time and get a few extra push-ups in."

"OSM is a web app for officers and a smartphone
app for offenders:
• Offers all the traditional supervision tools to ensure an offender is held liable for their actions while protecting the public.The OSM app also distributes rehabilitative resources and gathers the data needed to document what truly reduces recidivism
• Revolutionizing and reducing recidivism"

"ID checks were a common response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11, but they'll soon be obsolete. You won't have to show your ID, because you'll be identified automatically. A security camera will capture your face, and it'll be matched with your name and a whole lot of other information besides. Welcome to the world of automatic facial recognition. Those who have access to databases of identified photos will have the power to identify us. Yes, it'll enable some amazing personalized services; but it'll also enable whole new levels of surveillance.

"Keeping track of inmates within a prison or jail is a constant challenge, especially as they move from one part of the facility to another. Monitoring their movements requires corrections officers to accurately identify individual prisoners by sight as they pass through security posts. It also requires frequent telephone and radio communications between officers at two or more security posts, paper passes authorizing inmates’ movements, and dry-erase or clip boards with handwritten records to note when prisoners left one area and entered another.

"The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) began efforts with FR technology in 2001 and has since emerged as a primary provider of law enforcement applications for face recognition. PCSO uses FR for corrections processing, mobile identification, investigations, and allows access to trained authorized users via Florida’s CriminalJustice Network (CJNET)."

"Discusses the use of biometrics as a tool for correctional management. Characteristics of biometrics; Details of the applications of biometrics in prisons and jails; Key factor influencing the deployment of biometrics in corrections."

"Simply put, biometric identification is based on the statistical measurement of physiological characteristics. In this sense, biometrics is the science of using a particular biological aspect of the human body to recognize a person for security, attendance, or any other purposes for which proof of identity is required. A buzzword right now, biometric identification actually has been around for a while. The most widely used biometric is fingerprints.

This is a community-developed reference document intended to provide value to policymakers1 so they can gain an accurate, clear understanding of face recognition and its associated issues, thus allowing them to place inputs received into proper context. It neither advocates for or against the technology, for or against any application or use case, or for or against any legislative or policy outcomes.

"...the most comprehensive narrative review to date of the research evidence base for body‐worn cameras (BWCs). Seventy empirical studies of BWCs were examined covering the impact of cameras on officer behavior, officer perceptions, citizen behavior, citizen perceptions, police investigations, and police organizations. Although officers and citizens are generally supportive of BWC use, BWCs have not had statistically significant or consistent effects on most measures of officer and citizen behavior or citizens’ views of police.

Body-worn cameras are recording devices police officers wear as part of their uniforms to document what they see as they perform their duties. Body cameras continue to be a significant focus for state law makers as they consider and enact legislation to address police-community relations. Thirty-four states and the District of Columbia have created laws for body cameras.

Evaluation Findings and Key Takeaways

"A Market Survey on Body-Worn Camera Technologies provides a landscape view of the claimed key attributes of 66 commercially available body-worn camera models offered by 38 vendors and four stand-alone body-worn camera video management software systems. APL developed the information contained in this survey primarily through an Internet search, supplemented by a request for information published in the Federal Register and outreach to vendors.

"A Primer on Body-Worn Camera Technology provides information to agency policymakers concerning considerations - including policy and training considerations— for integrating body-worn cameras into current systems and the legal implications associated with adoption of body-worn cameras. It also provides a summary of the information found in A Market Survey on Body-Worn Camera Technologies."

"Overview of Body-Worn Camera Use by Law Enforcement: In a sample of police departments surveyed in 2013, approximately 75 percent of them reported that they did not use body-worn cameras. The survey was funded by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and conducted by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF)"

"As in-jail deaths such as those of Sandra Bland in Texas and Natasha McKenna in Virginia’s Fairfax County attract the same scrutiny as police-involved fatalities, a growing number of agencies nationwide are bringing body cameras behind bars. It is the latest bid to improve transparency in law enforcement and takes the devices into a world where interactions almost always happen away from the public eye."

"We have all asked the question, what if? Life is full of what if choices. Each of those choices will make or break us. Asking what if questions can squander opportunities or challenge us to ponder an issue before it comes to pass. Which brings me to the point of this article: what if correctional staff were equipped with personal body cameras?"

"SOG Operators wear shoulder-mounted body cameras to record their moves and the actions of their partners. Because the SOG Operators work in assigned partner teams, the agency gains two recordings of each incident that show different angles and views. The cameras record good-quality audio and capture rapidly unfolding events better than the handheld versions we previously used. This unique, hands-free method of camera carrying accommodates wearers of all shapes and sizes and enables each operator to more easily film the incident and not the back of someone’s head"

This technology brief is the fourth in a four-part series that examines artificial intelligence (AI) applications in the criminal justice system. This brief highlights applications currently in use in corrections, including institutional corrections (jails and prisons) and community corrections (probation and parole). This brief introduces frameworks for evaluating AI applications, and summarizes critical risks to consider when deploying AI systems.

Delivering effective community supervision services has always been challenging. However, recent societal shifts have raised the stakes. The changing nature of crime, along with an increase in digital literacy among the general population, has resulted in a greater number of tech-savvy individuals under community supervision. This presents unique challenges and opportunities for supervision agencies. A complete ban on supervisee access to technology is generally not justifiable (or practical) except in the most severe circumstances.