NCJ Number
206168
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 31 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2004 Pages: 118,20,123
Date Published
June 2004
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes the use of biometrics, RF (radio frequency) transmitters, and GPS technology to track offenders within the corrections facilities and offenders under community supervision.
Abstract
Security within correctional settings is enhanced through the use of biometrics, such as fingerprint, handprint, and facial recognition systems, and through the use of RF transmitters and GPS technology. In 2001, a Mock Prison Riot allowed the Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization (OLETC) to test many new biometric technologies, including the Facial Recognition System (FRS), an advanced facial recognition system that provides identity authentication, access control, and surveillance capabilities. In 2002, the first TSI PRISM RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) system was installed in a juvenile facility in Michigan. The system consists of five components: a wrist-worn RF transmitter for inmates, receiving antennae, a belt-worn RF transmitter for officers, a computer system, and the TSI PRISM software. The system is based on deterrence; violent offenses should decrease because inmates know they are being monitored. During the 3-year test period at the juvenile facility, there was not a single escape and violent incidents were down 65 percent. An automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS) has been used in California’s correctional institutions. Prints are captured digitally and checked against a database of fingerprints for a match. Not only is the system useful when transferring inmates, but also in identifying offenders of unsolved crimes by matching fingerprints from unsolved crime to the fingerprints of current inmates. The use of HandKey readers by the Washington State Department of Corrections assists the Department in positively identifying offenders on community corrections orders. The system captures fingerprints and compares them to a database of fingerprints. A new technology known as Omni Biometric Engine has the capacity to capture and verify all the biometric indicators rather than just one. Finally, the use of GPS technology in ankle bracelets and within offender homes is being used to track offenders under community supervision. GPS allows officers to set proximity limits that designate off-limits areas for the offenders. As corrections technology continues to improve, officers will be better equipped to protect the public safety. Figures