U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

www.cops.usdoj.gov

Jail Information Model

By:

John Matthews

Jail Information Model

This project was supported by cooperative agreement 

#2004CKWXK016 by the Office of Community Oriented 

Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice. The 

opinions contained herein are those of the author and do 

not necessarily represent the official position of the U.S. 

Department of Justice. References to specific companies, 

products, or services should not be considered an 

endorsement thereof by the author(s) or the U.S. Justice 

Department. Rather, the references are illustrations to 

supplement discussion of the issues. 

Jail Information Model

iii

Acknowledgments 

The author gratefully acknowledges Carl Peed, director of 

the COPS Office, for his vision in seeing the tremendous 

benefit to communities throughout the nation in 

developing and implementing a jail information project. 

A special note of gratitude is reserved for Fred Wilson, 

director of training, National Sheriffs’ Association, for 

his unyielding support throughout the years on innovative 

public safety projects. Sincere thanks are also in order 

to Cynthia Pappas, COPS Office project manager; and to 

Sergeant Marty Parsons and Corporal Randy Shelton of 

the Forsyth County (North Carolina) Sheriff’s Office for 

their invaluable contributions to this project. 

Jail Information Model



Abstract

The Jail Information Model is a new process designed 

to cultivate jail-based information about internal and 

external safety and security issues, and to disseminate it 

to the appropriate offices or agencies in order to solve or 

prevent crimes and improve public safety.

This Jail Information Model encourages and promotes 

a paradigm shift from traditional corrections activities 

to proactive public safety capabilities. This shift helps 

to solve current crimes, prevent future crimes or reduce 

their impact, save lives and property in the jail and the 

community, and improve community quality of life.

In jails where this model or similar models have been 

institutionalized, officers’ lives have been saved, drug 

distribution networks have been seized, and potential 

crimes have been stopped. In the three pilot sites used in 

this project, more than one dozen homicides have been 

solved, rapists brought to justice, theft rings disbanded, 

and serial robbers arrested based on information that 

was collected, disseminated, and acted on using the Jail 

Information Model. 

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Section	 	 	 	 	 Page

Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

I. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Assessment of the Existing Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 

II. Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

A. Project Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

B. Basic Project Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Process vs. Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Staffing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Information Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Paradigm Shift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Information vs. Intelligence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

C. Obstacles to Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

III. Jail Information Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

A. Information-Gathering Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Data Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Information Gatherers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

B. Coding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

C. Dissemination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

D. Evaluation, Use, and Feedback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

vii
IV. Work Kit Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

A. Jail Information Monograph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

B. Forms and Templates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

C. Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

D. Training Posters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

E. CD-ROM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

V. Jail Information Model Pilot Sites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

A. Organizational Acceptance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

B. Pilot Site Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

C. Pilot Site Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Tulsa County, Oklahoma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Pierce County, Washington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Bergen County, New Jersey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

D. Pilot Site Training and Jail Information Model 

Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

E. Summary of Pilot Site Results: the First 6 Months. . . 37

F. Key Findings from the Pilot Sites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

G. Key Benefits of the Jail Information Model . . . . . . . . 39

VI. The Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

For More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

COPS Innovations

viii
Jail Information Model

I. Introduction

“I only ask for information.”

 David Copperfield (Charles Dickens)

Assessment of the Existing Problem

In the post-9/11 era, information collection and sharing 

has become of vital importance to this nation. Peter 

Brookes, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, 

stated that “Information is our first line of defense, and it 

must be shared both vertically within organizations and 

horizontally across organizations involved in homeland 

security.”§

The 9/11 Commission also agreed that the need 

for information collection and sharing is of critical 

importance and that “the purpose of improving 

information analysis and sharing is to provide better 

information throughout the federal government and 

ultimately to state and local governments, the private 

sector, and our citizens so that collectively we are 

better prepared.”§§ Whether information is obtained by 

federal agencies at the national level, gathered by local 

law enforcement organizations, or collected by citizens 

just trying to protect their neighborhoods, information 

involving public safety is of critical importance. 

One environment rich in public safety information that 

has been largely ignored is this nation’s county and local 

jails. These facilities, ranging from a few beds in small 

and rural counties to tens of thousands in our major 

metropolitan areas, house individuals who are involved 

to some degree in a wide range of past, present, and 

potential future criminal activities. These inmates are the 

key to a tremendous repository of criminal and terrorist 

information. 

County jails are central to local public safety operations 

and criminal justice involvement. They house the 

inmates involved in a wide variety of offenses, are used 

by many (if not all) of the local jurisdictions, including 

sheriffs’ offices, municipal police departments, state 

police, and in many cases even federal agencies. The 

jails are accessed by the courts on a regular basis, 

and often the district attorney’s investigators or state 

prosecutor’s office representatives can be found working 

on active cases within the confines of these correctional 

institutions. 

§ The Heritage 

Foundation, Heritage 

Lecture 764, October 11, 

2002.

§§ 9/11 Commission 

Report: Reorganization, 

Transformation and 

Information Sharing, GAO, 

August 3, 2004.
Information developed in local and county jail systems 

can have an impact on past, current, and future cases. 

It has the potential to give some families closure and 

prevent others from experiencing the loss of a loved one. 

Information developed in holding cells, workout areas, 

recreation yards, and in dorms can save lives both inside 

the facility (inmates and corrections officers) and outside 

by preventing crimes or stopping a planned terrorist 

attack. 

The potential upside to the formal collection and 

appropriate dissemination of jail information is often 

greater than can be measured (such as the saving of 

lives), while the cost of implementing a formalized 

system is almost nonexistent. Each and every day, local 

corrections officers overhear important information that 

could change or save lives. By adopting and using a 

formal jail information collection and dissemination 

system, corrections officers are no longer just casual 

participants in the local criminal justice system; they 

now become key players in community safety and 

security. 

COPS Innovations
Jail Information Model

II. Overview

A. Project Development

In December 2004, the National Sheriffs’ Association 

hosted a series of roundtable meetings with 

representatives of small, medium, and large jails to 

collect primary information about the current status of 

their information collection and dissemination activities 

or programs. 

Researchers discovered that while sheriffs are charged 

nationally with overseeing jail operations (more than 80 

percent of the nation’s jails are operated by sheriffs), and 

jail directors are responsible for the safety and security of 

those facilities, only a small percentage of local jails have 

a formal information collection and distribution system. 

According to New Realities: Law Enforcement in the Post 

9/11 Era, “Information sharing must become a policy, 

not an informal practice”§ and more often than not, jail 

officials stated that they either used informal systems to 

gather information or that they had no system at all in 

place. 

Even in some larger jurisdictions where formal systems 

existed, referral forms were rarely used by line-level 

corrections officers, so only a few designated individuals 

were assigned to collect information or follow up on jailbased leads. At these facilities, only a limited amount 

of important information was being collected because 

a majority of the information gatherers had no formal 

authority and were not being used. In other facilities 

where formal information was being collected, it was 

only through passive collection where the inmate through 

some type of anonymous reporting procedure voluntarily 

provided information. Although this type of collection 

can yield valuable results, by its very nature a significant 

portion of important information may never be collected 

or acted upon. Often, active information collection was 

not being conducted because there was no formal system, 

proper awareness among corrections officers, little or no 

training programs, and no officer or employee recognition 

programs. 

Although a few major facilities, such as the Los Angeles 

County Jail, use their own information-collection 

process, the majority of the jails had no formal system to 

consistently gather, validate, and refer vital information 

throughout the local public safety system. This lack of 

a formal process is especially significant in light of the 

§ New Realities: Law 

Enforcement in the Post9/11 Era, IntelligenceLed Policing: The New 

Intelligence Architecture. 

Bureau of Justice 

Assistance, 2005.
COPS Innovations

fact that when jail representatives were queried about 

the need for such a system, they continually pointed to 

the influx of organized activities within jails that affect 

the safety and security of the facility and the community. 

Respondents cited issues such as gangs, drugs, and 

terrorist activities when asked about challenges to their 

jail operations and to community safety. 

Based on the information developed by the National 

Sheriffs’ Association through its roundtable sessions with 

jail administrators, and personal interviews conducted 

with sheriffs throughout the country, researchers 

determined that jail administrators must have proactive 

and formalized jail information-gathering systems that 

result not only in obtaining information but in using and 

disseminating it properly. Armed with this information 

gathered through a formal data-collection system, 

personnel will be better equipped to make decisions about 

internal jail operations and improve communication with 

external entities to assist with community safety. 

Issues ranging from in-house gangs to external threats 

such as organized crime and terrorism can be more 

appropriately addressed using a formal, structured, 

information-gathering process. When in place, a Jail 

Information Model will offer a win/win situation for the 

jail, corrections officers, local law enforcement agencies, 

and the community. Jail directors and National Sheriffs’ 

Association officials agreed that the benefits of this new 

process include the following:

• Improved jail security and officer safety

• Improved communications with staff and between 

jail and local law enforcement agencies

• Improved involvement of corrections officers in 

public safety efforts

• Improved community safety.

Project Mission

Based on the information gathered during the 

initial stages of the Jail Information Collection and 

Dissemination project and using grant funding provided 

by the COPS Office, the National Sheriffs’ Association 

established the following as its project mission statement:

“To develop a national model to collect jail-based 

information and disseminate it to appropriate law 

enforcement agencies in order to solve and/or prevent 

crimes and improve public safety.” 
Jail Information Model

Project Goals

To support the project mission statement, the National 

Sheriffs’ Association established the following project 

goals:

Collect information in the jail regarding:

– Internal jail safety and security issues

– Criminal activity within the jail

– Criminal activity outside of the jail

Route the information to the appropriate office or 

agency for action.

Project Objectives

To attain the stated project goals and fulfill the project’s 

mission, the National Sheriffs’ Association established 

two project objectives:

1. Develop, within 1 year, an innovative jail-based 

information gathering and sharing model process 

that can be replicated by law enforcement agencies 

nationwide.

2. Encourage a paradigm shift from traditional guard to 

proactive peacekeeper to prevent crimes, save lives, and 

improve community quality of life.

B. Basic Project Parameters 

During the development of the Jail Information Model 

process, certain project parameters became apparent. If 

most local jails were going to be able to implement this 

innovative initiative, the model had to be user-friendly 

and require little or no additional training of personnel 

or costs. Further, because of limited budgets, the model 

had to be designed to require no additional staffing and 

no major capital expenditures. Jail officials needed to be 

able to focus on basic information collection instead of 

concerning themselves with investigative technique and 

information analysis. Administrators desired a model that 

they could tailor to their own specific jail demographics, 

the existing local public safety culture, and their unique 

community concerns. The following paragraphs detail 

some of these basic project elements.

•

•
COPS Innovations

Process vs. Program

From the initial meetings regarding the development 

of a Jail Information Model, program administrators 

agreed on the need to design a generic, replicable process 

that could be tailored successfully to the jail and its 

community, instead of to a static and inflexible program 

that may or may not be implemented in a county jail or 

municipal facility. 

Developers believed that this important distinction 

between a process and a program would have a direct 

impact on the use of this model at the pilot site locations 

and, in turn, would result in a highly successful initiative. 

Whereas many jail administrators may not want to 

implement some prepackaged federal program, most 

were open to examining a process that could be tailored 

specifically to their own unique demographics and 

organizational culture, and implemented under guidelines 

that they felt best suited their needs. Because program 

administrators offered a process instead of a program, the 

pilot agencies were much more open to learning about 

and ultimately implementing this innovative public safety 

initiative.

Staffing

No additional staffing is required to implement the Jail 

Information Model successfully. Although additional 

staff is certainly an option and no facility is prohibited 

from hiring additional personnel to staff positions such 

as a jail information officer, no additional positions are 

required to implement this model. Corrections officers 

and staff collected and documented information as part of 

their regularly assigned duties, and selected supervisors 

validated and disseminated the information to external 

and internal resources. 

Equipment

No additional capital equipment purchases are required 

to implement the Jail Information Model successfully. 

All forms, background materials, and training aids are 

included in the Jail Information Model Work Kit, so jail 

administrators only need to make copies. In some cases, 

the forms are specifically tailored to the agency, but there 

is no need for the acquisition of any capital equipment or 

of major expenditures to support the initiative. 
Jail Information Model

Information Flow

While it could be argued that information is the 

central and most essential element of this initiative, 

most practitioners advise that it is actually the flow of 

the information that is the most crucial aspect of the 

program. This action-oriented process of continual flow 

of information throughout the local public safety system 

drives the entire model. The flow is initiated when 

inmates provide information to the corrections officers or 

jail staff. From there it flows by a formal documentation 

to the designated jail information officer, who codes 

and validates the information and disseminates it to the 

appropriate internal or external agency. The final step 

in the process is completed when the receiving agency 

provides feedback to the jail and ultimately to the officer 

or staff member who initiated the information flow. 

If the flow of information is stopped at any point while 

in transit to the agencies or investigative units, the 

core information may become lost, devalued, or totally 

worthless, thereby negating the positive effects of the 

entire program. If the information flow is stopped 

between the agencies or units that use the information 

and those who have originally provided it, the feedback 

mechanism is diminished. When this happens, the jail 

staff may not feel that their efforts were valuable or 

worthwhile, and may not continue to actively seek out 

information that can be beneficial to the community’s 

overall public safety. Implementing agencies, therefore, 

must maintain an active feedback mechanism and 

provide some type of employee incentive program 

that reinforces the importance of active line-level 

participation in the process. 

Paradigm Shift

Often relegated to entry level positions with lower pay 

and less prestige than their street officer counterparts, 

the corrections officers rarely played a major role in 

solving or preventing offenses. Their contribution to the 

criminal justice system seemed to be limited to the daily 

drudgery of inmate care and custody. Public or even 

peer recognition in the public safety community is rare, 

primarily because most corrections officers are rarely 

seen or heard outside of the jails in which they serve. 
One of the goals of the Jail Information Model is 

to elevate the status of the corrections officers by 

highlighting the important role they can now play in 

solving and preventing offenses. Armed with information 

developed and validated through the Jail Information 

Model process, corrections officers now become 

prevention officers and, in the process, can assist with 

both solving current offenses and preventing future ones. 

When corrections officers actively contribute to the 

reduction of crime in a community, their status level 

among their peers inevitably will be raised and their 

contributions noted, as increasing numbers of the public 

safety community acknowledge and recognize their 

important contributions.

Information vs. Intelligence

The Jail Information Model process focuses on gathering 

and corroborating primary information within the jail. 

This process does not address investigation or analysis 

of the information by the receiving agency or any 

intelligence that may develop on further investigation. 

While one of the primary goals of the Jail Information 

Model is to prevent crime, it does not focus on suspected 

criminal activities of individuals (pre-arrest information), 

but rather on the overall offense that may be committed. 

For example, information gathered may reveal that a 

gang shooting will take place later that night at a popular 

local club and, without knowing all of the specific details 

or players involved, local police can assign more officers 

to the area to prevent the offense from occurring. 

Corrections officers who typically are not trained 

investigative personnel are the primary users of the 

model. The focus, therefore, is on gathering information 

and not on analyzing intelligence. The corrections 

officer’s duty, therefore, is to collect data and not analyze 

or disseminate it. While supervisors or staff may review 

the data, their primary mission is to validate the data 

using their knowledge and background within the jail, 

and not analyze the information. The jail information 

officer should consider if the information comes from a 

credible source that has provided accurate information 

in the past, or if it came to light as part of an ongoing 

investigation that has already yielded positive results. 

COPS Innovations
Jail Information Model

The information should stand on its own, and the role 

of the jail information officer should be to send it to 

agencies that may have an interest in or be affected by 

the information. The receiving agency may then analyze, 

interpret, or disseminate the data as it deems appropriate 

or as required by federal statute.

If an agency is receiving federal grant funds from 

the Department of Justice (DOJ) and intends to use 

those funds in connection with implementing the Jail 

Information Model, the agency may contact its DOJ 

funding agency to determine whether 28 C.F.R. Part 

23, Criminal Intelligence Systems Operating Policies 

(Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, 

as amended) applies to the specific grant project. For 

additional information about 28 C.F.R. Part 23 and 

how it applies to DOJ grants, visit the Institute for 

Intergovernmental Research’s website at www.iir.com. 

Training

The training associated with the Jail Information Model 

had to be as minimal as possible because of minimum 

staffing requirements in many jail facilities, the high cost 

of training, and the already overburdened professional 

development requirements that many jails face. To 

maximize the information presented to corrections 

officers and staff, the Jail Information Work Kit includes 

several training tools that could be used with little or no 

formal instruction.

C. Obstacles to Implementation

Throughout the research phase and the pilot site 

implementation, several factors were identified that could 

present possible obstacles to implementation at the jails. 

The following are some of the potential obstructions:

Labor union agreements and contracts. Although 

key officials such as the sheriff or jail director may 

want to implement an information collection and 

sharing system, in many areas of the country this must 

be coordinated with labor unions representing jail 

employees. Even if the task of reporting information 

relating to jail safety and security is a current 

component of the employees’ job descriptions, the 

completing of forms and other tasks may require 

consultation or additional agreements with the labor 

union.

•
COPS Innovations

10

Employee resistance. Change within any system can 

create a feeling of uneasiness; therefore, implementing 

the program may require focused instruction on the 

benefits of the initiative to employees, public safety 

officials, and the community.

Employee sabotage. In rare cases, employee sabotage 

may occur if certain individuals are opposed to the 

implementation of a jail information system.

Organizational inflexibility. If the organization 

is inflexible in adapting to change or resistant to 

modification of its policies and procedures to support 

a jail information system, implementation may be 

impeded or permanently obstructed.

Management’s lack of familiarity with requirements 

and organizational obligations. Even though support 

for the initiative may come directly from the chief 

executive officer, if the management staff members do 

not embrace and support the jail information program, 

successful implementation is unlikely. 

Legal limitations and liabilities. In some cases, legal 

limitations, liabilities, or both, may limit or completely 

halt implementation of the jail information system. 

•

•

•

•

•
Jail Information Model

11

III. The Jail Information Model

“Information is the oxygen of the modern age. It seeps 

through walls topped by barbed wire, it wafts across 

electrified borders.”

 

Ronald Reagan (London, June 14, 1989)

The cornerstone of this project is the Jail Information 

Model. This continuous cycle of information gathering, 

coding, dissemination, evaluation, use, and feedback 

ensures that timely information flows throughout the 

system and reaches all participating parties.

A. Information-Gathering Process

The initiating step in the Jail Information Model is the 

information gathering phase during which corrections 

officers and jail staff collect a wide variety of jail-based 

information. For the purposes of this project, jail-based 

information is defined as information regarding internal 

jail safety and security issues; criminal activity within the 

jail; and criminal activity outside of the jail. 

The duty of collecting and documenting information 

is not dramatically different from the daily duties of 

most corrections officers in this country. As a matter of 

fact, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor 

Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook describes 

some of a corrections officer’s basic duties as follows: 

“Correctional officers periodically inspect the facilities, 

checking cells and other areas of the institution for 

unsanitary conditions, contraband, fire hazards, and 

any evidence of infractions of rules. In addition, they 

routinely inspect locks, window bars, grilles, doors, and 

gates for signs of tampering. Finally, officers inspect mail 

and visitors for prohibited items. Correctional officers 

report orally and in writing on inmate conduct and on the 

quality and quantity of work done by inmates. Officers 

also report security breaches, disturbances, violations of 

rules, and any unusual occurrences. They usually keep a 

daily log or record of their activities.”§ 

Even though the “what information to collect” as defined 

above may seem broad, the “how to collect” for that 

information is just as sweeping. This is a process and not 

a program; therefore, within the Jail Information Model 

there is no one “correct” or standardized methodology 

suggested for collecting information. Information 

collection will vary from agency to agency and within a 

single jail system structure. 

§ Bureau of Labor 

Statistics, U.S. Department 

of Labor, Occupational 

Outlook Handbook, 2006-

07 Edition, Correctional 

Officers, on the internet at 

www.bls.gov/oco/ocos156.

htm (visited March 23, 

2006).
COPS Innovations

12

Corrections officers and staff should use whatever 

methods are appropriate and accepted within the agency. 

In some organizations, policy allows corrections officers 

to proactively interview inmates. Other jails, however, 

may take a more passive approach and direct officers 

simply to be more aware of their surroundings and to pay 

attention to and document what is being said in housing 

areas or in dorms at night. A third option is to collect 

information by asking inmates to complete a form or 

questionnaire, while still other corrections officers may 

actively engage inmates in conversation. 

There are almost as many ways to gather information in a 

jail as there are types of information to gather. Although 

“how to collect information” may appear on its surface as 

just being in the right place at the right time, interviews 

with jail professionals have revealed a more complicated 

methodology. 

Individuals who excel at information collection are those 

who have honed their personal data-gathering skills to 

fit the conditions of their own unique environment. They 

have learned through trial and error that there are times 

and locations where inmates will more readily provide 

the information that authorities deem important. Visiting, 

dining, and recreation areas; monitored telephone 

conversations; and the review of inmate mail have been 

traditional data-collection points. Information-gathering 

experts have also identified transportation and booking 

areas as likely places where inmates reveal important 

information or want to be heard. 

One key element of the Jail Information Model is that it 

allows for institutional and organizational flexibility. Not 

every facility has to collect information the same way. 

Some jail administrators may prefer an active collection 

system while others may believe in a more passive 

system. Whichever method of information collection is 

used, the key element for success is a formal system of 

collection, documentation, review, dissemination, and 

feedback.

Data Sources

In most corrections facilities there are a wide variety of 

primary data sources that may include the following: 

Inmates’ visitors - friends, family (excludes 

information covered by attorney/client privilege)

Inmates’ conversations

Inmates’ mail or other materials.

•

•

•
Jail Information Model

13

Jail information collection officers and trained staff 

should be cognizant of the various primary data sources, 

and should remain alert at all times for opportunities to 

collect or cultivate these data. Some physical locations 

within the facility that may lend themselves to the 

collection of data include the booking area, housing 

units, visiting areas, and the cafeteria.

Information Gatherers

The core component of the Jail Information Model is the 

dedication and willingness of jail employees and staff 

to participate actively in the process. Concerned staff 

members who embrace this initiative are crucial to the 

success of this information gathering and disseminating 

process. 

To achieve the best results, the Jail Information Model 

should be as inclusive as possible. Information gatherers 

may include the following personnel: 

Corrections officers

Staff (employee or contract)

Custodians

Health care workers

Private contractors.

Formal information gatherers are individuals who 

have been designated as jail information collection 

officers and who have received the required training 

and instruction on the Jail Information Model, as well 

as training in communications and interviewing skills. 

Informal information gatherers may include all other 

employees or individuals who want to participant in 

the program but have not been designated as such or 

received additional training. 

Whether formal or informal information gatherers are 

involved, the primary consideration is the collection, 

documentation, and reporting of the information to 

the designated jail information officer or team. Once 

jail information collection officers or staff members 

receive raw information that affects any of the three 

predefined areas (internal jail safety and security issues; 

criminal activity within the jail; and criminal activity 

outside of the jail), they should complete the appropriate 

documentation and refer the information to the jail 

information officer. In matters of safety and security, all 

employees and staff are encouraged to report information 

immediately. 

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These professionals have also learned through experience 

that certain offenders will be more willing to “chat” with 

corrections officers after being incarcerated for various 

lengths of time. Although numerous variables must be 

considered and more research has to be developed in 

this area, corrections officers who excel at information 

gathering in the jails firmly believe that key information 

can be developed if officers are aware of their inmates’ 

patterns of behavior. 

Additionally, jail information collection officers may 

be more productive if they can understand the inmates’ 

personal motivations for sharing information. Research 

indicates that individuals share information with public 

safety officials for a variety of reasons. Some of the 

motivations for sharing information may include the 

following: 

Gain – Financial and other incentive-based gain

Personal – Revenge-driven

Patriot – Loyalty-driven

Excitement – Thrill-driven

Moral – Ethics-driven.

If corrections officers can identify the motivations for 

inmates’ providing specific information, it may also 

assist them with the validation and verification of 

the information. For example, an inmate who may be 

incarcerated for a felony offense might come forward 

to provide information on a potential terrorist event, 

indicating that although he may be a criminal he is 

also an American who does not want to see his fellow 

citizens harmed by foreign terrorists. Taken as a whole, 

the information about the pending terrorist event and the 

inmate’s background and motivations may help officials 

with validation and assist in preventing an attack on 

United States soil.

Documentation

The final component of this first step in the Jail 

Information Model is the proper documentation of the 

information received. This element of the informationgathering process is critical. Inadequate or improper 

documentation can lead to miscommunication, which 

could be extremely detrimental to those affected and to 

the entire Jail Information Model process.

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COPS Innovations
Jail Information Model

15

Designated information collection officers and staff 

members should use the appropriate documentation and 

referral form to report information to the jail information 

officer. A sample referral form is shown below.

All documentation received should be considered 

valuable and retained for future reference and possible 

use. Often, investigations take weeks or months to 

complete, and documentation that may not have seemed 

valuable when it was first received may prove to be 

essential on further investigation. Information officers, 

therefore, should retain a copy of each submitted 

document, whether or not they validate and disseminate 

that information to other agencies. 

B. Coding

The second portion of the Jail Information Model 

is coding, which is performed by the designated jail 

information officer (or jail information team). This 

individual is usually a jail supervisor or commander 

responsible for receiving information and validating and 

disseminating it to the appropriate internal or external 

investigative agency. 

Inmate Safety Issue

Staff Safety Issue

Contraband

Weapons

Details:

Effective Date: 

Mod: Division: Date:

Corrections

JAIL INFORMATION REFERRAL FORM ROUTING #:

INTERNAL SECURITY INTERNAL CRIMINAL EXTERNAL CRIMINAL

FOLLOWUP and FEEDBACK NOTIFICATION

FAX E-mail Phone Other

NOTIFICATIONS

Method of notification:

Notification made to: Department:

Notification by: Date: Time:

VALIDATED

INTERNAL NORMAL INTERNAL PROPERTY EXTERNAL NORMAL EXTERNAL PROPERTY

STGU Officer STGU Lieutenant STGU Captain

SOURCE OF INFORMATION

Submitted by: Print Name: Signature:

IR:

Cell #

Housing Unit

Gang 

Association:

Booking:

Classification:

Inmate Name:

Other

Weapons

Assault

Homicide

Homeland Security/Terrorism

Robbery

Gang Related

Narcotics

Auto Theft

Burglary Jurisdiction:

Witness Intimidation

Sexual Assualt

Narcotics

Assaults

Other

Security Concern

Gang Activity

Riot

Escape Information

JAIL INFORMATION MODEL

SECURITY THREAT GROUP UNIT
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The jail information officer will code each referral 

form as internal or external. Information that is coded 

internal will be used to enhance jail operations or solve 

or prevent crimes from occurring in the jail. Examples 

of internal information include: planned assaults or 

attacks on corrections officers or other inmates, jail 

safety issues, inmate communication issues, contraband, 

and security issues.

External information refers to information that can 

be used outside of the jail. External information may 

be provided to investigative units or law enforcement 

agencies that are investigating offenses including, but 

not limited to the following:

Crimes against persons

Terrorism

Property crimes

Gang offenses

Homicides

Sexual assaults.

External information includes data that may be used 

either within the sheriff’s office by the appropriate 

investigative division, or outside of the sheriff’s 

office by any of the participating agencies in the Jail 

Information Sharing System. Jail Information Model 

liaisons may want to meet individually with the agencies 

that are receiving the information to ensure that the 

information is being provided in both a timely manner 

and a format that can be used by the agency. External 

members of the Jail Information Sharing System may 

include the following:

County prosecutor’s office

District attorney

Other sheriffs’ offices

Local police departments

State and federal agencies

Special task forces.

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Jail Information Model

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The Jail Information Sharing System is illustrated on the 

Jail Information Sharing poster shown below. 

Keep your center well oiled with 

information and feedback.

JAIL 

INFORMATION 

SHARING
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C. Dissemination

Once the jail information officer or team validates 

(if possible) and codes the information as internal or 

external, the information is then classified as normal or 

red level distribution. 

Normal distribution is the typical classification for the 

majority of information that will be received. Normal 

distribution routes the information to the appropriate 

agency within a useful length of time. The normal 

coding will be used for most information collected, 

especially when offenses have already been committed.

Red level (or priority) distribution will be used when 

the information collected must be acted on immediately 

to prevent future offenses from occurring, for example, 

a bank robbery planned for later in the day. Red level 

distribution can also be used for any offense that could 

be prevented, damage minimized, or harm reduced if 

the information is provided to the appropriate agency 

immediately. A planned terrorist attack should be 

designated for red level or priority distribution. 

If the jail information officer is not sure whether to 

designate a specific referral as red level, it is always 

better to err on the side of safety and label it as red 

level, thereby allowing the receiving agency to take 

appropriate action. This process is illustrated on the Jail 

Information Model poster shown below. 

Health Corrections/Staff Contractors/Services

Shift Supervisor/

Information Offi cer

Jail

Administration

Investigative Agencies

Property Crimes

Terrorism

Homicide

Gangs

Etc.

Inmate

Internal

External

Jail Information Model

Red Level 

Referrals
Jail Information Model

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D. Evaluation, Use, and Feedback

While the first three steps in the Jail Information Model 

are the responsibility of the jail administrators, their 

staff, or both, the final step is the responsibility of the 

receiving agency. The receiving agency should evaluate

the information for usefulness. This is important for 

providing feedback to the originating agency. Not all 

information will be useful, but the receiving agency 

should determine the percentage of useful information 

generated by the program to determine if it will continue 

to participate in the initiative. 

If the information is valuable, it should be used by local 

or federal law enforcement agencies to clear or prevent 

offenses. For this model and the entire Jail Information 

Sharing Process to be of value to both the corrections 

facility and the end users, the information generated 

must be useful to the receiving agencies to enable them 

to improve community safety. If the receiving agency 

determines that most of the information is unreliable and 

unusable, then the integrity of the initiative may suffer 

and the entire process could be in jeopardy. If both the 

jail and the receiving agency make a concerted effort to 

verify the information, the reliability and accuracy of the 

information should increase its beneficial use.

Finally, the receiving agency should provide feedback

to the originating agency on the usefulness of the 

information and the usefulness of the overall Jail 

Information Model process. This feedback is extremely 

important, not only for the program but also for the 

individual corrections officers who participate. If they 

receive positive feedback and are acknowledged for their 

contributions toward preventing or solving crimes, they 

will be more likely to contribute in the future.
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This is an example of a feedback form.

Jail Information Program

Feedback Form

This portion of the form is to be completed by the administrative section or investigative 

agency that has received the jail information referral. Once completed, return to the 

originating jail information referral officer or staff.

For Administrative Staff or Investigative Agency Use:

Information received from (jail name): ____________________________________

Information received by (officer and investigative unit): _______________________

____________________________________________________________________

Information utilized by (list investigative or administrative unit): ________________

____________________________________________________________________

Intelligence developed from information: __________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Feedback form returned by: _____________________________________________

Date feedback form returned: ____________________________________________

This portion of the form is to be completed by jail staff overseeing the jail 

information referral program.

For Jail Use:

Feedback information provided to originating jail staff or officers by: ____________

____________________________________________________________________
Jail Information Model

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Timely feedback not only closes the information loop but 

also serves as an impetus for both internal and external 

recognition systems. In some agencies, feedback is 

provided on the form. Depending on the size, scope, and 

publicity surrounding the specific case, it also may be 

accompanied by a letter of thanks from the investigating 

officers, or even a certificate of appreciation or 

recognition from the agency that cleared the case or 

arrested the offender based on information provided 

through the use of the Jail Information Model. 

Internally, the feedback form received by the generating 

officer may include notes of thanks or formal 

recognition for a job well done, signed by the sheriff, 

chief prosecutor, or agency executive. Whenever such 

feedback occurs, not only does the reporting corrections 

officer feel as if he or she is a more integral component 

of the overall public safety system, but it also reinforces 

to other employees the importance of the model and the 

personal and professional rewards that could be tied to 

proactive use of this innovative initiative.

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IV. Work Kit Development

Before the Jail Information Model was implemented at 

the three designated pilot sites, the Community Safety 

Institute developed a specially designed Jail Information 

Work Kit for the National Sheriffs’ Association. The 

work kit assists agencies in providing training and 

in properly implementing the initiative. The Jail 

Information Work Kit contains the following tools: 

A. The Jail Information Model Monograph

The Jail Information Model Monograph is a detailed 

examination of the project, its background, parameters, 

and the overall development of the process. This 22-page 

monograph also includes details on both the model and 

the process, and provides additional information for jail 

administrators who are interested in implementing this 

innovative project.

B. Forms and Templates

A variety of useful forms will assist jail administrators 

with implementing the Jail Information Model. Each 

form can be tailored to meet the specific needs of the 

individual facility and the specific way that the model 

can be implemented. These forms are available on the 

COPS website at www.cops.usdoj.gov:

Jail Information Referral Form

Jail Information Model Feedback Form

Jail Information Model Monthly Activity Report

Jail Information Model Evaluation Report.

Jail Information Referral Form. The Jail Information 

Referral Form should be used on a regular and ongoing 

basis to formally document information and report it to 

the jail information officer.

Jail Information Model Feedback Form. The Jail 

Information Model Feedback Form is used to provide 

information back to the jail from the law enforcement 

or public safety agency that initially received the 

information and acted on it. This form closes the 

information loop and serves as notification to corrections 

officers that their efforts are valuable. 

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Jail Information Model Monthly Activity Report. The Jail 

Information Model Monthly Activity Report records all 

referrals generated, interviews conducted, photos taken, 

internal and external referrals made to public safety 

agencies, and the feedback from those agencies.

Jail Information Model Evaluation Report. The Jail 

Information Model Evaluation Report is designed to 

track and record internal data about the program, such 

as the number of referrals received, offenses cleared, 

crimes prevented, and offenders arrested based on the 

Jail Information Model.

C. Training

The training programs provided in the Jail Information 

Work Kit include the following:

Jail Executive Level

Jail Corrections Officer Level

Self-Paced Learning Systems

External Public Safety.

One of the primary project parameters used when 

developing this process was the requirement for minimal 

formal training. Budget restrictions and the costs 

associated with staffing the facility so that employees 

could attend training led the developers design a 

program that focused on awareness and procedures. 

In each course, attendees learn their specific roles 

and responsibilities regarding this model and how to 

implement the process to achieve the greatest results. 

To further this minimal training requirement, a selfpaced learning series was developed so that corrections 

officers and staff could review the training materials on 

their own time or during designated times when they 

had access to a computer terminal. Self-paced flexibility 

allows jail administrators and supervisors to determine 

when training should occur and lets them make the best 

use of the time allocated.

Jail Executive Level. This training course was designed 

specifically for the sheriff and his or her command 

staff. It examines program acceptance and development, 

specifically addressing how a sheriff’s office can 

implement the Jail Information Model successfully. It 

presents the mission of this project, its goals and specific 

objectives, and an overview of the jail information 

process that should be established prior to implementing 

this national model.

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Jail Information Model

25

Jail Corrections Officer Level. Unlike many new 

programs that require extensive training to fully 

implement their initiatives, the Jail Information Model 

requires only a minimal amount of formal instruction. 

This training course includes the overall process, its 

goals and objectives, information on new policies or 

procedures that are being used in the initiative or adopted 

to support the program, and specialized training in 

communications skills and interviewing techniques.

Jail Information Model training should consist of at 

least a 2-hour block of instruction that all designated jail 

information officers must complete. In facilities where 

all jail staff will participate in this initiative, training 

should be provided for the following personnel:

Command staff

Corrections officers

Jail staff

Jail contract services.

Self-Paced Learning Systems. To facilitate training at all 

levels in the sheriff’s office and within the corrections 

facility, two self-paced learning systems are included 

in the Jail Information Work Kit. These narrated, webstyle instructional courses provide professional low-cost 

training on the Jail Information Model to executives and 

officers alike.

Command staff personnel, corrections officers, or staff 

simply load the CD-ROM into their computer to review 

the entire course of instruction on the Jail Information 

Model, its implementation, documentation, and skillbuilding components. 

This self-paced learning system is an invaluable 

component of the Jail Information Model Process 

because of the corrections environment and the limited 

resources that are available to most jurisdictions to 

train corrections officers. In many jurisdictions, the Jail 

Information Model could not be implemented without a 

self-paced system.

External Public Safety. While internal training for jail 

staff should be approximately 2 hours in length, the 

specialized training for all external entities involved 

in the program can be limited to 1 hour. This external 

training simply needs to appropriately explain the 

Jail Information Model, the specific process, why it 

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COPS Innovations

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is important, its goals and objectives, and the roles 

and responsibilities of each participant, especially 

emphasizing the significance of the feedback mechanism 

to ensure a continual flow of useful information.

Some entities that will be involved in the process and 

should receive this basic or introductory training include 

the following:

Investigative units (both internal and external to the 

jail)

School resource officers

Patrol supervisors

Patrol deputies and officers

Outside agencies that may participate in the Jail 

Information Model:

– Local police departments

– Other sheriffs’ offices

– State police

– Special task forces

– Federal agencies:

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Drug Enforcement Administration

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and 

Explosives

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

D. Training Posters

To assist jail administrators with training, three full-color 

posters designed as teaching aids are included in the Jail 

Information Model Work Kit in both heavy-duty poster 

form and electronically on the CD-ROM. The three 

posters are Jail Information Sharing, Jail Information 

Flowchart and the Information Cycle. 

Jail Information Sharing. The poster illustrates how 

the jail can play a central role in local public safety. It 

displays all public safety partners, sheriff’s office, police 

department, state and federal agencies, special task 

forces, and the district or county prosecutors office as 

interlocking gears, with the jail serving as the primary 

information collection and dissemination point. 

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Jail Information Model

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Jail Information Flowchart. The poster demonstrates the 

flow of information from the inmate to the corrections 

officer or jail staff who documents the data and refers it 

to the jail information officer who codes the information 

before referring it to the appropriate internal or external 

law enforcement agency for action.

Information Cycle. The poster demonstrates the closedloop cycle that begins with the information-gathering 

process, moves to coding, then dissemination, and finally 

to use, feedback, and evaluation before cycling back to 

those who generated the original information.

E. CD-ROM

The Jail Information Model Work Kit contains a CDROM with numerous electronic files for use by the jail 

administrator. These files include the Jail Information 

Model Monograph, two PowerPoint presentations, an 

executive and corrections-level self-paced learning 

system, and various forms and templates that can be 

modified and tailored to meet the specific needs of an 

agency. 

Jail Information Model

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V. Jail Information Model Pilot Sites

A. Organizational Acceptance

Initial research and interviews with jail administrators 

and practitioners demonstrated to project staffers the need 

to develop a pre-model process. The secure nature of 

jail facilities and the ingrained culture of jail personnel 

determined that to maximize the success of the Jail 

Information Model, management must institute a project 

endorsement and acceptance process before the new 

program can be implemented. During the initial stages 

of the project’s implementation, organization leaders and 

jail administrators are asked to actively demonstrate and 

promote their support for this public safety initiative. 

Having law enforcement leaders set a positive tone helps 

to firmly establish the Jail Information Model as one of 

the primary initiatives of the organization.

B. Pilot Site Process

The Pilot Site Process encourages and promotes a 

paradigm shift from traditional corrections activities 

to proactive public safety capabilities to solve current 

crimes, prevent future crimes or reduce their impact, save 

lives and property in the jail and the community, and 

improve community quality of life.

Its flexible design allows this process to be tailored to fit 

the unique needs of rural, suburban, or urban corrections 

facilities. In each of these environments, the size and 

scope of the process can be adapted to the individual 

facility’s characteristics. For example, while the position 

of jail information officer may be filled by a single 

jail supervisor in a small or rural facility, large urban 

locations may have multiple individuals in that role who 

serve as a jail information team. Whatever the size of 

the organization, the role of the jail information officer or 

team and the responsibilities remain consistent, regardless 

of the specific modifications made to the model. 

The Pilot Site Process was developed specifically for 

and used at each of the three Jail Information Model 

pilot sites. The process consists of four phases: project 

briefing, jail familiarization, implementation issues, and 

evaluation requirements.
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1. Project Briefing 

The first phase of the pilot site visit provides an overall 

project briefing to the pilot site sheriff and jail command 

staff who will implement the initiative. During this 

briefing, pilot site staff learn the various aspects of 

the Jail Information Model including project design, 

model development and utilization, communications, 

interviewing methodology, and project requirements.

2. Jail Familiarization

During the second phase, project coordinators receive a 

comprehensive tour of the facility and review specific 

site-based information, policies, and current procedures 

that may have to be reviewed to implement the program. 

During this portion of the site visit, project personnel 

review specific aspects of the facility, its personnel, 

and operations that may enhance or detract from the 

project so that these concerns or opportunities may be 

appropriately addressed in the next phase.

3. Implementation Issues

The third phase of the site visit is reserved for formally 

addressing implementation issues within the facility. The 

issues range from designating information-collection 

points within the jail to staffing an information collection 

supervisor. They also include all logistical concerns such 

as modifying the forms, establishing the documentation 

process and review procedures, as well as the information 

dissemination procedures both internal and external to 

the jail.

4. Evaluation Requirements

In the fourth phase, each pilot site must complete 

specific project evaluation forms and send them to the 

project coordinators for review. Each site was given 

sample forms and individuals, usually supervisors, were 

tasked with completing the required information about 

the project’s progress and sending the forms to the 

appropriate project staff members. 
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C. Pilot Site Selection

Each facility selected to implement and test the Jail 

Information Model had certain unique characteristics 

that distinguished it from other facilities and enhanced 

its value as a pilot site. Each site was selected by staff 

of the National Sheriffs’ Association in cooperation with 

the COPS Office staff, and designed to meet the specific 

needs of the project. 

The three pilot site county jails are in: Tulsa, Oklahoma; 

Tacoma, Washington; and Bergen County, New Jersey. 

These sites provide both large- and medium-size jails 

and have some specific operational characteristics that 

are of significant value to this project.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa County Criminal Justice Center

In Tulsa, Oklahoma, Sheriff Stanley Glanz recently 

reacquired management of the county jail from a private 

jail management firm that operated the 1,440-bed, directsupervision facility for 5 years.

The Tulsa County Criminal Justice Center has an average 

daily population of 1,230, with a jail staffed by some 304 

certified corrections officers. All three classifications of 

prisoners—minimum, medium, and maximum security—

are housed in the facility along with federal prisoners 

provided by the local U.S. Marshals Office.

It is rare that project coordinators have an opportunity 

to work with a “brand new” jail, but for this project the 

team members met with the Tulsa County Jail Transition 

Team as it designed the entire jail process from booking 

and receiving of inmates, through classification, 

transportation, and release. 

This unique situation gave project coordinators an 

opportunity to examine information check points 

throughout the facility and implement procedures to 

allow for the collection and dissemination of targeted 

information from the day sheriff’s employees took over 

the facility. 
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Tacoma, Washington

Pierce County Detention and Corrections Center

The Pierce County Detention and Corrections Center is 

a medium/maximum custody facility consisting of two 

jail units, the “Old Jail” and the “New Jail,” confining 

more than 1,300 inmates. The Old Jail is a combination 

of both direct and indirect supervision, while the New 

Jail is direct supervision only. Located in downtown 

Tacoma, Washington, the center serves both the courts 

and the criminal justice system. 

For several years before 9/11, Sheriff Paul Pastor had 

been seeking information on a jail intelligence system, 

but after homeland security issues engulfed his agency 

the efforts were placed on hold. When approached by 

project coordinators about using the Jail Information 

Model, Sheriff Pastor felt that the time was right and 

allowed coordinators full access to the facility and 

personnel to implement and test the model. 

What was unique about the situation was that the sheriff, 

his jail commander, and the patrol bureau commander 

fully accepted and endorsed the project before it was 

implemented. As the Jail Information Model was being 

tailored to meet the specific needs of Pierce County 

and various individuals were being consulted about 

the project and its implications, the union representing 

the corrections officers objected. Although their job 

descriptions called for the immediate reporting of 

activities that could endanger the jail, its staff, or 

population, union representatives felt that completing 

a form and turning it in for review was an additional 

job responsibility and one for which the corrections 

officers should be compensated with additional money or 

benefits. 

The sheriff countered the union’s opposition by 

reaffirming that this new paradigm, if successfully 

implemented, would bring greater job satisfaction to the 

employees, build bonds between corrections and both 

internal and external law enforcement, and therefore 

provide opportunities both for individuals and the 

organization in the future that do not currently exist. 
Jail Information Model

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Sheriff Pastor’s primary focus in the implementation 

of this project was drugs and specifically 

methamphetamines. His jurisdiction has been seeing a 

significant increase in meth labs and related production, 

distribution, and possession offenses. In addition, the 

sheriff is concerned about the recent influx of gangs from 

California and their negative impact on his community.

Bergen County, New Jersey

Bergen County Justice Center

Bergen County’s population stands at roughly 884,000 

people in a county approximately 239 square miles in 

size. The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office consists of 

more than 500 personnel including 268 officers who 

work in the Bergen County Jail. The jail is a 1,140 bed 

facility with an average daily occupancy of 90 percent or 

940. It is a direct supervision facility. 

The Bergen County sheriff is tasked with maintaining 

order and security at the Bergen County Justice Center, 

providing for the care and custody of inmates and 

detainees at the Bergen County Jail, and assisting the 

county’s local police forces by providing advanced 

forensic procedures through its Bureau of Criminal 

Investigation. In addition, the sheriff’s office is 

responsible for process serving, writs, court orders, 

foreclosures, and court executions. 

Bergen County, New Jersey is across the Hudson River 

from New York City; therefore, many of the urban 

issues such as gangs, drugs, and weapons trafficking 

experienced in the metropolitan area also have an impact 

on Bergen County. 

At the onset of the program, the sheriff identified three 

primary areas where he wanted his officers to focus 

their information-collection efforts: drugs, gangs, and 

terrorist activities. In his jurisdiction, drug issues are the 

predominant concerns of the community. A growing gang 

presence (including members of MS13) has increased 

the county’s level of awareness, and the Jail Information 

Model project is being developed in partnership with 

his gang unit’s expansion. Finally, because the Bergen 

County jail houses a significant number of federal 

inmates and the county is adjacent to New York City, the 

sheriff is concerned about current and future terrorismrelated issues.
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D. Pilot Site Training and Jail Information 

Model Implementation 

Tulsa County

To begin implementation of the Jail Information Model 

in his jurisdiction, Sheriff Stanley Glanz hired a former 

Tulsa Police Department investigator to serve as his jail 

information officer. He is responsible for the primary 

data collection, verification, coding, and dissemination 

of information collected in the jail. Through his 

background and experience, he has multiple contacts 

with jurisdictions throughout the county and in the 

surrounding areas. 

Within weeks after taking over the jail from a private 

contract corrections company, the Tulsa Sheriff’s 

Office implemented the Jail Information Model and 

disseminated information referral forms throughout the 

facility. After the conclusion of training provided by 

National Sheriffs’ Association staff, the Tulsa County 

Criminal Justice Center supervisors began working with 

staff members to provide training to corrections officers 

and other staff throughout the facility. 

Transition issues associated with reclaiming their jail 

gave Tulsa County staff members a unique opportunity 

to institutionalize the Jail Information Model into their 

facility from the very beginning. Corrections officers 

were hired, trained, and advised to begin using this model 

to collect and route information to the jail information 

officer. Tulsa has had outstanding success because of the 

sheriff’s commitment and his vision in hiring a full-time 

employee to follow-up on information generated.

Within the first six months of implementation, a triple 

homicide was solved, along with a sexual assault and 

the arrest of an escapee and four persons for harboring a 

fugitive. Threats against a local judge were uncovered; an 

internal affairs investigation was launched and resulted 

in the removal of an employee; and a jail smuggling 

operation ceased. Tulsa County discovered multiple 

instances of contraband, including drugs and weapons, 

and discovered information leading to the closure of 

several homicide cases. In one of the Jail Information 

Model’s most celebrated success stories, the information 

generated led to the discovery of a homicide victim, the 

arrest of her killer, the closing of a major drug lab, and 

seizure of multiple automatic weapons and the arrest of 

several individuals for a wide variety of offenses.
Jail Information Model

35

Pierce County

To begin the Jail Information Model project, National 

Sheriffs’ Association staff conducted the project briefing 

and jail familiarization portions of the project before 

meeting with operational staff to conduct the initial 

training session. At the first training, the jail commander 

and her supervisory staff were present to receive the 

information, discuss implementation issues, and begin 

the process. Approximately two dozen key individuals 

attended the scheduled training. 

Since the initial training, Pierce County officials 

have continued the training process with selected jail 

personnel. The Jail Information Model has also been 

implemented and referral forms have been tailored to 

meet the needs of the facility and its employees. 

One obstacle that Pierce County is facing is that jail 

officials want full-time corrections officers who can 

follow up on important information and on major 

offenses that are occurring in the county, but the current 

budget prohibits additional staffing at this time. National 

Sheriffs’ Association staff members, while recognizing 

the budget limitations, have reinforced to county officials 

that the Jail Information Model can be implemented 

properly without additional staffing, and valuable 

information can be developed if corrections officers are 

dedicated to the project. Information was developed 

almost immediately after the Jail Information Model was 

implemented, with the most dramatic results involving 

an inmate gang. To become a member of the gang, an 

inmate has to be held on a murder charge. At least three 

major players have already been identified and it appears 

that a rather large homicide caseload is in the making.

In addition to the gang case, Pierce County officials 

stopped a potential jail conflict by isolating members of 

a white supremacist group after uncovering information 

about a planned attack, and removed several gang 

members who were being targeted by fellow inmates. 

Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor also points to the 

identification of a homicide suspect, the arrest of a serial 

robbery suspect, the identification of a suspect in a highprofile local shooting, and the arrest of a serial rapist 

who had been terrorizing the county as other important 

successful milestones recorded within the first 6 months 

of the Jail Information Model initiative. 
Bergen County

Upon completion of the project briefing and jail 

familiarization, Bergen County officials assigned more 

than 215 corrections officers to take the Jail Information 

Model course provided by National Sheriffs’ Association 

staff facilitators. Six 2-hour training blocks were 

provided to the designated corrections officers, medical 

staff, the mental health professional, and other employees 

during a 2-day period. 

National Sheriffs’ Association facilitators rotated teaching 

assignments among all three shifts to keep overtime and 

training costs to a minimum in this highly unionized 

state. The sheriff negotiated with union officials on 

schedule flexibility to make the specialized training 

available. In addition, he rearranged scheduled training of 

more than 100 officers to make the training possible.

To further ensure the success of the Jail Information 

Model, a formal structure was developed to aid in the 

flow of information within the jail. A staff of more than 

200 trained corrections officers were assigned to report 

to 25 supervisors for this project. These area supervisors 

are responsible for validating the original information. 

Once information is validated, the supervisors will report 

information to five designated team leaders who will 

work closely with the jail information officer. 

The Bergen County jail information officer will be the 

primary conduit for all jail information that is collected 

and validated, and will be responsible for all internal and 

eternal information dissemination. The jail information 

officer will also be responsible for coding all information 

into internal, external, and red-level information and will 

serve as the liaison with the Bergen County command 

staff including the jail warden, undersheriff, and sheriff.

Immediately upon inception of the training and 

implementation of the Jail Information Model in Bergen 

County, officials began generating important new 

information. Within the first week of this initiative, 

information was developed and shared with the County 

Prosecutor’s Office, the Patterson Police Department and 

several other municipal agencies regarding a weapons 

distribution network located and operating in the northern 

New Jersey area. Investigators have learned that more 

than 65 weapons were being traded within the network 

and possibly being made available to multiple parties. 

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Addition information developed within the jail led 

investigators to a narcotics ring operating out of a series 

of nightclubs in Bergen County. It appeared that drugs 

were transported from New York City and were sold to 

individuals in various New Jersey nightclubs. Bergen 

County officials are aggressively following up on both of 

these cases as well as continuing to work on additional 

information obtained through the Jail Information Model.

Corrections officers have been providing a tremendous 

amount of information on both internal and external 

criminal activities. Internal information received about 

a planned attack on a corrections officer in the mental 

health unit led to the inmate’s removal before the attack 

occurred. Internal information about a planned assault 

on two inmates resulted in their removal to a secure unit 

and an ongoing investigation regarding the potential 

attackers.

External information provided by corrections officers 

has led to the arrest of several individuals involved 

in an armed robbery ring, the apprehension of a third 

individual in an auto parts theft ring, the re-opening of an 

investigation of a 2002 homicide, and the apprehension 

of an individual in Boston who was planning a gang 

shooting and is responsible for a pair of homicides in that 

city.

E. Summary of Pilot Site Results: 

The First 6 Months

The following are some of the successes resulting from 

the use of the Jail Information Model at the three pilot 

sites.

Internal: Jail Safety and Security

Prevented an attack on a corrections officer

Prevented an attack on an inmate

Confiscated contraband (weapons, drugs)

Generated an Internal Affairs investigation

Arrested a program vendor for smuggling

Identified jail security issues

Identified jail safety issues

Properly identified an inmate wanted for other 

felonies while using false name

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External: Public Safety

Investigated threats against a judge

Solved multiple homicides (local and out of state)

Solved gang homicides

Arrested a serial robbery suspect

Arrested a serial rapist suspect

Solved an auto theft ring case

Solved an identity theft ring case

Solved a sexual assault case

Arrested a child molester

Identified a homicide ring

Solved a high-profile shooting case

Arrested an escapee and others for harboring a 

fugitive 

Seized multiple methamphetamine labs and weapons

F. Key Findings from the Pilot Sites

1. Import process and institutionalize into local 

procedures. Jail administrators were pleased with 

being able to import the Jail Information Model into 

their facilities and institutionalize the process with their 

own local policies and procedures. By allowing them 

the ability to customize the process to fit their specific 

circumstances, they developed a personal stake in the 

process and made it their own instead of implementing 

some off-the shelf program. 

2. Overwhelming the system. Depending on how the 

Jail Information Model was used in a specific facility, 

some administrators were overwhelmed with information, 

especially regarding crimes such as narcotics. At one 

pilot site, an additional information officer had to be 

brought in to handle the increased workload because 

six to eight referrals a week were being validated and 

disseminated to local law enforcement who, in turn, were 

making arrests and filing cases against offenders. At one 

pilot site, Jail Information Model information officers 

were closing more cases and solving more crimes than 

their counterparts in the investigative section.

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Jail Information Model

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3. Empowering the corrections officers. Once 

implementation began there was surprisingly minimal 

resistance by line officers who were being tasked with 

collecting the information. Most believed it was already 

a primary component of their jobs and they were now 

simply recording it for others. 

4. Feedback is essential. In the pilot sites where 

feedback was given to the jail information officer and to 

the corrections officers who originally generated the data, 

acceptance and use of the Jail Information Model was 

the highest. In facilities that also rewarded employees 

with commendations, the number of employees actively 

providing information remained high throughout the pilot 

period. 

G. Key Benefits of the Jail Information 

Model 

1. Saved lives. Lives of law enforcement officers, 

citizens, and inmates were saved by preventing offenses 

from being committed. This occurred through a variety of 

methods including warning potential victims, removing 

potential victims from harm, and arresting offenders 

before they committed another crime.

2. Prevented future crimes and reduced victimizations.

Offenders wanted for current crimes were arrested and 

incarcerated before they could commit more crimes.

3. Solved current crimes. Numerous offenses were 

solved by using information provided by the Jail 

Information Model including sexual assaults, robberies, 

thefts, forgeries, shootings, and homicides. 

4. Provided closure for families. Some families were 

able to have closure because homicides were solved and, 

in some cases, the victims recovered.

5. Improved jail safety and security. Not only were the 

lives of corrections officers and inmates saved because of 

the Jail Information Model, but other safety and security 

issues were uncovered such as internal smuggling rings, 

contraband involving weapons and drugs, and previously 

unknown inmate communications systems.

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VI. The Future

The Jail Information Model was designed to be a userfriendly process that can be implemented into the current 

culture of a jail; therefore, this initiative can be easily 

replicated by law enforcement organizations throughout 

the country. There is no need for additional staff, training 

is limited, and the entire process can be customized to 

meet the specific needs of each community. 

This flexible model provides a formal process for 

collecting and disseminating information, yet allows for 

customization to best serve jail administrators and the law 

enforcement agencies that use the corrections facilities. 

By using the Jail Information Work Kit as a guideline for 

implementing the process, nearly any jail facility in the 

country can benefit from this innovative law enforcement 

initiative. 

Project developers believe that this model can be exported 

and implemented successfully in nearly every jail in the 

United States, providing valuable information, solving 

crimes, preventing offenses from occurring, and generally 

making communities safer for all citizens. 

For More Information

For more information on Jail Information Model training 

contact:

Fred G. Wilson

Director of Training

National Sheriffs’ Association

1450 Duke Street

Alexandria, VA 22314-3490

Office: 800.424.7827

Fax: 703.838.5349

E-mail: sheriffstraining@comcast.net

Website: www.sheriffs.org

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About the Author

John Matthews serves as the executive director of the 

Community Safety Institute (CSI), and is an assistant 

chief constable for Dallas County, Texas (Precinct 1). 

He is the developer of the COPS Office Jail Information 

Model, CSI’s Creating a Safer School (CASS) program, 

the STAR toolkit (a homeland security/disaster 

preparedness community resources assessment tool) for 

the COPS Office, the Neighborhood Watch Toolkit for 

the Bureau of Justice Assistance, and several weapons 

of mass destruction programs for the Office of Domestic 

Preparedness.

With bachelor’s and master’s degrees in administrative 

management and an Advanced Law Enforcement 

Certificate, Matthews is nationally recognized for his 

work in both public safety management and school safety. 

He has developed dozens of national training programs 

for the Department of Justice, Department of Defense, 

Department of the Interior, and Department of Homeland 

Security. 

Matthews is an award-winning author who has written 

scores of law enforcement and safety articles for national 

magazines. His book, The Eyeball Killer, published by 

Pinnacle Books, is a true crime thriller and was selected 

as a True Crime Book of the Month. Two of his latest 

publications are Creating A Safer School and Countering 

Terrorism: Protecting Our Schools and Communities. 


www.cops.usdoj.gov

For More Information

U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

1100 Vermont Avenue, N.W.

Washington, DC 20530

To obtain details on COPS programs, call the

COPS Office Response Center at 800.421.6770 

Visit COPS Online at the address listed below.

November 2006 e10063135