Using laptop computers and adapting common software, they've set up a system that helps officers. It also links the probation office with the sheriff's department, police department, district attorney's office, day reporting center and other criminal justice agencies in town. The project known as JWAN, the Justice Wide Area Network, is funded through a grant from the Governor's Crime Commission.
Officers have electronic access to offenders' files and enter their reports electronically.
They have access to the Internet and groupwise, an e-mail and communications tool. The computer technology increases the officers mobility and provides a legible offender record that can easily be reviewed by supervisors. That allows the officer to deal up front with issues that occurred under previous supervision. Officers are putting in more time maintaining offender reports. But Eggen says that's a result of the narratives being more meaningful and available to others in the office.