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                                    Resources
                                    Resources By Area of Practice
                                    Topics In Corrections
                                    Technology In Corrections

      

                    
          
    Technology In Corrections
In many ways technology has been a help and a hindrance for the corrections field. People working in the field struggle to decide how to handle these technologies...if at all. Technology consistently changes faster than corrections and/or society can keep up with it. Implementing a technology, or plans to battle it (take cell phones for instance), can be a long and difficult process, and before new technology can be implemented, things may have changed. This package page contains information about: computers & the internet, apps, body cameras, bio-metrics & facial recognition, cell phones, drones, electronic monitoring & GPS, and x-rays & scanners, in order to provide information on the biggest trends in technology for the corrections field.

    Resource Links
          Using Telehealth for Behavioral Health in the Criminal Justice System (2020)
                   Topic Categories and Resources
The following grey bars are accordions that can be expanded to show a list of "top-shelf" resources that have been hand-picked by our library team around this topic. If you would like additional research assistance on this topic, please contact our help desk. They have access to specialized databases and thousands of resources you won't find online. Click on a grey box below to browse resources in that section.
            
      Accordion    Cell Phones
      
      Cell Phone Forensics in a Correctional Setting: Guidebook

            
      
"This guidebook provides correctional administrators with a brief, yet comprehensive and informative, view of cell phone forensic technologies. It reviews the evolving role of cell phone forensics in correctional institutions and presents issues to consider when acquiring and implementing these
              Jails And Health Information Technology: A Framework For Creating Connectivity

            
      
This paper “shares insights from the experiences of five jurisdictions working to implement different forms of HIT connectivity. Although there is no turnkey solution, there are lessons to be learned. [The] intent here is to share these lessons with those interested in improving health care in jail
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Law Enforcement Tech Guide: How to Plan, Purchase and Manage Technology (Successfully!): A Guide for Executives, Managers and Technologists

            
      
"[S]trategies, best practices, recommendations and ideas for successful IT planning and implementation" (p. 3) are provided. This guide is divided into the following parts: seven facts to know before reading this document; build the foundation; conduct a needs analysis; create a project plan

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      Detecting and managing cell phone contraband (2021)
              Leveraging the Power of Smartphone Applications to Enhance Community Supervision (2020)
              Using Mobile Phone Technology to Provide Recovery Support for Women Offenders (2013)
              Emission Measurements of a Contraband Wireless Device Jammer at a Federal Prison
              Taking it on the Chin: Legislatively Imposed Internet Restrictions for Sex Offenders (2013)
              SC prisons get green light for anti-cellphone tech (2016)
              4 options for contraband cell phone detection (2015)
              Cell Phones in Prisons - National Institute of Justice (2011)
              FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin: Cell Phones as Prison Contraband (2010)
              FCC - Combating Contraband Cell Phones in Prison Handout
              Accordion    Computers & Internet
      
      Prisoners, Parolees, Sex Offenders, Computers, and the Internet

            
      
This two-part series discussing issues and developments in the use of information technologies by inmates and offenders in the community. Part 1 looks at: the problems in general; access to computers; information from the internet; and the Trust Fund Limited Inmate Computer System (TRULINCS) used by
              Taking it on the Chin: Legislatively Imposed Internet Restrictions for Sex Offenders

            
      
Accession Number
              027612

            Recent court cases (2013) concerning the restricted use of the Internet by sex offenders are reviewed. These cases are: Doe v. Nebraska; Doe v. Prosecutor, Marion County, Indiana; and Bykov v. Rosen. “Restricting Internet access has always been seen primarily as a risk management condition
  
      In State and County Prisons, Mobile Devices Help Improve Prison Life (2017)
              Building Effective Partnerships For High-Quality Postsecondary Education In Correctional Facilities (2016)
              Digitizing the 21st-Century Prison (2016)
              Online behind bars: if internet access is a human right, should prisoners have it? (2016)
              Jail Tech: Phones, Tablets, and Software Behind Bars (2016)
              South Dakota Department of Corrections - Inmate Use of Computers Policy
              Oregon Department of Corrections - Inmate Access to Automation Policy
              Maine Department of Corrections - Internet/ Email Access Policy
              Ohio Administrative Code - Internet Access For Prisoners Policy
              Accordion    Drones
      
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Drones and Corrections

            
      
Accession Number
              031410

            This website is a great resource for recent news about the use of drones to get contraband into prisons and jails by dropping it into exercise yards and other exterior areas. Proposed and current legislation regarding drones is covered, as is use of drones by correctional agencies.

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      NIC Virtual Conference November 9, 2016 - Drones: Implications of Unmanned Aircraft
              2016 Virtual Conference - Drones: Implications for Corrections Transcript
              Prisons try to stop drones from delivering drugs, porn and cellphones to inmates (2016)
              Prison and Jail Officials Face New Challenge: Drones Used to Smuggle Contraband (2016)
              FAA - Law Enforcement Guidance For Suspected Unauthorized UAS Operations (2016)
              Minnesota Department of Corrections - Policies, Directives and Instructions Manual - Perimeter Management (2016)
              How to catch drones smuggling drugs into prison (2016)
              The Threat of Drones to Secure Facilities (2016)
              Correctional Agencies’ Response to Drone Intrusions (2016)
              Feds Seek Ways To Protect Prisons From Drones (2015)
              Airmail via Drones Is Vexing for Prisons (2015)
              FAA UAS DRONE LE Reference Card
              Accordion    Electronic Monitoring/GPS
      
      Visions of Law Enforcement Technology in the Period 2024-2034: Report of the Law Enforcement Futuring Workshop

            
      
"This report describes the results of the Law Enforcement Futuring Workshop, which was held at RAND's Washington Office in Arlington, Virginia, from July 22 to 25, 2014. The objective of this workshop was to identify high-priority technology needs for law enforcement based on consideration of
  
      Research on the Effectiveness of Pretrial Electronic Monitoring (2019)
              Incorporating Location Tracking Systems Into Community Supervision (2019)
              Office of Justice Programs (OJP) - Technology to Fight Crime
              Corrections Tech 2020: Technological Trends in Custodial & Community Corrections (2017)
              Corrections Video Surveillance
              A Sound Solution in Correctional Facilities (2017)
              Harnessing the Power of Technology in Institutional Corrections (2016)
              Justice Technology Information Center
              Multi-jurisdiction Research on Automated Reporting Systems: Kiosk Supervision (2016)
              National Institute of Justice - Electronic Monitoring Technologies
              National Institute of Justice - Criminal Justice Offender Tracking System Standard, NIJ Standard-1004.00
              Offender Tracking Record Transfer Service Specification, Version 1.0 (2016)
              Electronic Monitoring Has Become the New Debtors Prison (2016)
              Use of Electronic Offender-Tracking Devices Expands Sharply Number of monitored individuals more than doubled in 10 years (2016)
              Electronic Monitoring Technologies (2016)
              GPS Monitoring Practices in Community Supervision and the Potential Impact of Advanced Analytics, Version 1.0 (2016)
              Examining Electronic Monitoring Technologies 5 experts explore advantages, disadvantages, and future research priorities (2015)
              GPS Supervision in California: One Technology, Two Contrasting Goals (2015)
              Promoting Offender Change in the Community: Positive Reinforcement Through EM Technology (2015)
              GPS Supervision in California: One Technology, Two Contrasting Goals - National Institute of Justice (2015)
              New gadgets give offenders on electronic monitoring no where to hide (2015)
              Does Electronic Monitoring Home Detention Program Work? Evaluating Program Suitability Based on Offenders’ Post-Program Recidivism Status (2014)
              Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention - Home Confinement and Electronic Monitoring (2014)
              Alleged serial killings highlight GPS limits (2014)
              GPS monitoring alerts overwhelm probation officers (2014)
              Electronic Monitoring: Some Causes for Concern (2012)
              Accordion    General
      
      The Criminal Justice Testing and Evaluation Consortium (CJTEC)
              Innovative Uses of Technology to Address the Needs of Justice-Involved Persons with Behavioral Health Issues (2016)
              Kiosk Supervision: A Guidebook for Community Corrections Professionals (2016)
  
      Identifying Technology Needs And Innovations To Advance Corrections (2017)
              Accordion    In The News
      
      Research on the Effectiveness of Pretrial Electronic Monitoring (2019)
              Wearable Technologies for Law Enforcement (2017)
              Black Box Justice (2017)
              Internet of incarceration: How AI could put an end to prisons as we know them (2017)
              Should Social Media Be Banned in Prison? (2017)
              When a Computer Program Keeps You in Jail (2017)
              Internet of incarceration: How AI could put an end to prisons as we know them (2017)
              Accordion    Social Media
      
      Developing a Policy on the Use of Social Media in Intelligence and Investigative Activities: Guidance and Recommendations

            
      
"Social media sites have become useful tools for the public and law enforcement entities, but criminals are also using these sites for wrongful purposes. Social media sites may be used to coordinate a criminal-related flash mob or plan a robbery, or terrorist groups may use social media sites to
              IACP Center for Social Media

            
      
Accession Number
              027161

            “The goal of the [Center for Social Media] initiative is to build the capacity of law enforcement to use social media to prevent and solve crimes, strengthen police-community relations, and enhance services. IACP’s Center for Social Media serves as a clearinghouse of information and no-cost
  
      Virtual Prison Visits Mean Some Prison Inmates Never See Family in the Flesh (2017). "You might ask your friends this hypothetical question on social media or while relaxing with a beer: How long could you last if your only contact with the outside world
              Social Media Surveillance by Police and Correctional Agencies (2017)
              2016 Law Enforcement Use of Social Media Survey
              The Role of Social Networks in the Evolution of Al Qaeda-Inspired Violent Extremism in the United States, 1990-2015 (2016)
              Social Media in Community Supervision: Promising Practices for Policy and Implementation (2015)
              Issue Paper on The Use of Social Media in Community Corrections (2014)
              Pathways to identity: using visualization to aid law enforcement in identification tasks (2012)
              Department of Correction launches social media pages (2014)
              North Carolina Department of Public Safety - Social Media Policy (2013)
              Accordion    Hand Held Devices
      
      You've Got Mail: The Promise of Cyber Communication in Prisons and the Need for Regulation

            
      
"As with most aspects of life, communications options for incarcerated people are in flux due to technological changes. For practical, political, and technical reasons, communications methods have evolved more slowly in prison than in the outside world, but change is nonetheless here. New
  
      Virtual Prison Visits Mean Some Prison Inmates Never See Family in the Flesh (2017). "You might ask your friends this hypothetical question on social media or while relaxing with a beer: How long could you last if your only contact with the outside world
              How tablets are helping us clean up our prison (2017)
              Why correctional facilities should consider tablets for inmates (2017)
              The Wireless Prison: How Colorado’s tablet computer program misses opportunities and monetizes the poor (2017)
              Company Offers Educational Tablets to Prisoners, with Mixed Results (2016)
              Android in prisons: Meet the man who put Galaxy Tab S2s in Rikers Island (2016)
              Pima County Introduces GTL Tablet Services to Inmates (2016)
              A Tablet-Based Distance Learning Program Reaches Its Way Into Jail (2016)
  
      Tablet technology – Now Being Found in Strange Places (2017)
              Accordion    Video Visiting & Calling
      
      Video Visitation: How Private Companies Push for Visits by Video and Families Pay the Price

            
      
This publication explains how video visitation negatively impacts the families of inmates. "While prison advocates have long anticipated the technology that would allow for video visits as a way to increase communication between incarcerated individuals, their family, and community members, it was
              Screening Out Family Time: The For-Profit Video Visitation Industry in Prisons and Jails

            
      
This is the most comprehensive website you will find about the for-profit video visitation industry. It is essential reading for anyone considering using a for-profit video visitation system in their correctional facility. "Video technology like Skype or FaceTime can be a great way to stay together
              Video Visiting in Corrections: Benefits, Limitations, and Implementation Considerations

            
      
"The purpose of this guide is to inform the development of video visiting programs within a correctional setting. “Video visiting” is real-time interactive video communication which uses video conferencing technology or virtual software programs, such as Skype. It is an increasingly popular form of
  
      Closing the Distance: The Impact of Video Visits in Washington State Prisons (2017)
              Video Chat Price-Gouging Costs Inmates More Than Money (2017)
              Alabama plans to supply prisoners with tablet computers, Wi-Fi for education, phone calls (2017)
              There’s no cheap talk when it comes to prison calls (2017)
              Face-to-Face Family Visits Return to Some Jails (2017)
              Evaluating Video Visitation Technology for Prisons (2014)
              Accordion    X-Rays & Scanners
      
      Scanner helps stop flow of drugs in Fla. jail (2016)
              Increasing Number of Jails, Prisons Using Full-body Digital Scanners (2016)
              The truth about correctional facility backscatter X-ray body scanners (2015)
              Body Cavity Screening for Criminal Justice: Market Survey (2014)
  
      A Review of Full Body Scanners: An Alternative to Strip Searches of Incarcerated Individuals
              Accordion    Apps
      
      New App Maps Overdose Epidemic in Real Time (2017)
              Smartphones Enable Smart Supervision (2016)
              Smartphones Enable Smart Supervision Transcript - 2016 Virtual Conference
              10 fitness and health apps for corrections officers (2014)
              Smartphones Enable Smart Supervision (2016)
              Accordion    Biometrics & Facial Recognition
      
      The Era Of Automatic Facial Recognition And Surveillance Is Here (2015)
              Tracking Prisoners in Jail With Biometrics: An Experiment in a Navy Brig
              Welcome to Interagency Use of Facial Recognition... Does it work? (2013)
              Biometrics in Corrections: Current and Future Deployment (2003)
              Biometrics in Corrections (2000)
              Biometric Face Recognition: References for Policymakers
              Accordion    Body Cameras
      
      Body-Worn Video Cameras for Law Enforcement Assessment Report

            
      
Correctional agencies will find this information very valuable. "The purpose of this assessment was to obtain information on body-worn video cameras that will be useful in making operational and procurement decisions. The activities associated with this assessment were based on recommendations from
              Body-Worn Camera Toolkit

            
      
Accession Number
              029961

            "This toolkit is a comprehensive clearinghouse for criminal justice practitioners interested in planning and implementing a body-worn camera program in an effort to strengthen community trust and confidence in the justice system and improve officer and community safety."

Each entry point begins
              Police Body-Worn Cameras (BWCs)

            
      
Accession Number
              029715

            If you want a great source for information body-worn cameras (BWC's), then this is the place. Links are organized according to: model and specimen policies; reports and studies; legislation and interpretations; general litigation; privacy issues; Freedom of Information (FOI) requests and litigation
              Equipment and Technology Research on Body-Worn Cameras and Law Enforcement

            
      
Accession Number
              029710

            "To date, little research is available to help law enforcement executives decide whether and how to implement the use of body-worn cameras in their departments." This website provides access to information that will help in making these decisions. Topics discussed on this website are organized
              Implementing a Body-Worn Camera Program: Recommendations and Lessons Learned

            
      
"The recent emergence of body-worn cameras has already had an impact on policing, and this impact will only increase as more agencies adopt this technology. The decision to implement body-worn cameras should not be entered into lightly. Once an agency goes down the road of deploying body-worn
              Body-Worn Cameras for Criminal Justice: Market Survey, Version 1.0

            
      
"The use of body-worn cameras (BWCs) by criminal justice practitioners (e.g., patrol, corrections, SWAT and other tactical responders) offers potential advantages in keeping officers safe, enabling situational awareness, improving community relations and accountability, and providing evidence for
  
      Research on Body‐Worn Cameras (2019)
              NCSL - Body-Worn Camera Laws Database
              The Milwaukee Police Department’s Body-Worn Camera Program (2018)
              A Market Survey on Body Worn Camera Technologies (2016)
              A Primer on Body Worn Camera Technologies (2016)
              Research on Body-Worn Cameras and Law Enforcement (2017)
              Maryland county equips some detention officers with body cameras (2016)
              Why all COs should wear body cameras (2014)
              The Technology Advantage: Using Shoulder Mounted Cameras Within a Detention Facility (2013)
              Accordion    Artificial Intelligence
      
      Artificial Intelligence Applications in Corrections
              Accordion    Supervision
      
      Community Supervision in a Digital World Challenges and Opportunities (2021)
              Accordion    Contraband
      
      Detecting and managing drug contraband (2021)

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