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Wristbands Document Interactions Between Prisoners and Officers
With the Clincher RFID wristband, manufactured by Precision Dynamics Corp. (PDC), the jail can now store more details about each individual detainee's care, Whitmore says. When an officer enters a cell, he first reads the plate tag at the doorway, to indicate he has arrived at that location. He then reads an individual inmate's wristband tag. The ID number on that prisoner's tag is sent via the Wi-Fi connection, along with the date and time, to the Guardian RFID software, which uploads the inmate's name, history and mug shot to the officer's handheld device, using the Guardian Mobile software. The officer then presses prompts or uses the alphanumeric keypad to input specific data about that particular transaction, such as delivering mail, or taking a head-count. The officer can also input details regarding the prisoner, such as whether he is sleeping, whether he was compliant, and whether there was a favorable interaction.
When the inmates are taken out of the cell for their daily recreation time, the officer scans each cell number, escorts the group to the recreation area doorway, and then scans each wristband as the detainees pass through on their way to recreation. In this way, the system knows exactly when each inmate goes to recreation, and then—as the practice is repeated when each prisoner returns to his cell—when the recreation period ended. If an inmate declines to go out for recreation, that request is also input by the officer at the time he reads the wristband, and he then escorts that individual back to his cell. The jail-management system then has a record that the prisoner was taken to the recreation area on a specific day, but declined to enter.
In addition, the wristband can be used for unusual circumstances, such as if a prisoner is on a suicide watch. In this case, by scanning that person's wristband tag each time the officer goes to his cell, and inputting the detainee's condition and details of the conversation, if applicable, the jail can maintain a permanent record of all efforts related to that inmate.
The wristband does not save officers much time, Whitmore says, but it does provide the jail with a greater amount of detail regarding each inmate. Since its installation in December 2009, he says, "The quality of documentation is vastly improved." Prisoners have gotten used to presenting their wristbands to be read during each transaction with officers, he adds, noting that to date, 99 percent of the detainees have been compliant with the system. Moreover, the plate RFID tag at each cell door offers redundancy. Namely, if an inmate refuses to present his wristband, the officer can still select his name from the screen on the handheld device after reading the cell ID tag, and input details of that transaction.
The Guardian RFID system can also be used to track medication administration, Dalley says, thereby allowing employees to scan wristbands to confirm which medicines should be provided, and then input data as to whether a particular inmate took his medication or declined it. This information is received by the Guardian RFID software, and is then transmitted to the jail-management system. The Clincher wristband, which has a read range of 3 to 4 inches, is a variation on the technology PDC provides for applications such as recreation or leisure. In the Clincher's case, says Jim Kopitzke, PDC's manager of technology deployment, the wristband is designed to be rugged, so that it cannot be easily removed. What's more, the device is waterproof so it can withstand showers, dish-washing and other activities that might expose the tag to potentially corrosive water.
The next phase for Hardin County Jail is the installation of fixed FEIG readers at key portals, such as at the recreation area entrance, the front door and the visitation area. Once the portals are in place this year, Whitmore says, the inmates will simply walk through the portals, and the system will automatically be updated to indicate where each prisoner has gone, thereby providing a record of when he has his recreation period, meets with visitors or is taken out of the jail for court appearances.
When the inmates are taken out of the cell for their daily recreation time, the officer scans each cell number, escorts the group to the recreation area doorway, and then scans each wristband as the detainees pass through on their way to recreation. In this way, the system knows exactly when each inmate goes to recreation, and then—as the practice is repeated when each prisoner returns to his cell—when the recreation period ended. If an inmate declines to go out for recreation, that request is also input by the officer at the time he reads the wristband, and he then escorts that individual back to his cell. The jail-management system then has a record that the prisoner was taken to the recreation area on a specific day, but declined to enter.
In addition, the wristband can be used for unusual circumstances, such as if a prisoner is on a suicide watch. In this case, by scanning that person's wristband tag each time the officer goes to his cell, and inputting the detainee's condition and details of the conversation, if applicable, the jail can maintain a permanent record of all efforts related to that inmate.
The wristband does not save officers much time, Whitmore says, but it does provide the jail with a greater amount of detail regarding each inmate. Since its installation in December 2009, he says, "The quality of documentation is vastly improved." Prisoners have gotten used to presenting their wristbands to be read during each transaction with officers, he adds, noting that to date, 99 percent of the detainees have been compliant with the system. Moreover, the plate RFID tag at each cell door offers redundancy. Namely, if an inmate refuses to present his wristband, the officer can still select his name from the screen on the handheld device after reading the cell ID tag, and input details of that transaction.
The next phase for Hardin County Jail is the installation of fixed FEIG readers at key portals, such as at the recreation area entrance, the front door and the visitation area. Once the portals are in place this year, Whitmore says, the inmates will simply walk through the portals, and the system will automatically be updated to indicate where each prisoner has gone, thereby providing a record of when he has his recreation period, meets with visitors or is taken out of the jail for court appearances.
