Criminal Justice Technology in the News

Law Enforcement News

Mount Carmel Approves Handheld Speed Camera Enforcement
Kingsport Times, (08/23/2017), Jeff Bobo
Use of a handheld photo speed enforcement camera by patrol officers was recently approved by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen in Mt. Carmel, Tenn. The device, which the police department will use to issue $50 citations, is essentially a radar gun mounted with a camera. It stores photos and related information in a tablet computer, which is then used to generate citations, thus saving the officers the time that would be involved in conducting traffic stops. Tennessee has banned used of stationary speed enforcement cameras.
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Call 911? Dispatchers May Send Licensed Therapist to Talk With You
KOAA News 5, (08/25/2017), Eric Ross
The Pueblo (Colo.) Police Department and partner Crestone Recovery Health Solutions have assigned two licensed therapists to respond along with law enforcement officers when individual callers appear to be having a mental health crisis. The goal of the project is to get people the help they need and reduce the burden on officers responding to such calls.
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First Responders Working to Understand 'Immediate Detentions' and What to Do About Them
Emergency Management, (08/25/2017), Jim McKay
The town of Fishers, Ind., which has a population of approximately 90,000, has undertaken a mental health initiative aimed at helping first responders and community members deal with rising rates of suicide and calls for those perceived at risk of suicide. The program includes better communication and coordination between departments and ongoing crisis intervention training.
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Police Shooting Suspect Has Extensive Criminal History
KOAT, (08/28/2017), Chris Guardaro
A New Mexico state police officer is recovering after his ballistic-resistant vest and his badge stopped a bullet fired by a suspect with a long criminal past early on the morning of August 27. The officer and a San Juan County deputy sheriff pulled over a pickup truck that matched the description of a wanted vehicle and arrested the two occupants; one of them managed to draw a gun and fire despite being in handcuffs. He was killed when the officers returned fire.
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Corrections News

Two More Texas Prisons Evacuated as Hurricane Harvey Flooding Continues
The Texas Tribune, (08/29/2017), Jolie McCullough
A total of five prisons and nearly 6,000 inmates have been evacuated from Houston area prisons due to Hurricane Harvey-related flooding. The prisoners have been loaded onto buses and transported to other facilities in the eastern part of the state, with no incidents occurring during the evacuation. All five prisons house only men.
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Corrections Pilot Program Results Show Reduced Recidivism
WITF, (08/23/2017), Rachel McDevitt
Pennsylvania's State Intermediate Punishment (SIP) program houses non-violent drug offenders who have already served 10 months in prison in a community corrections setting with drug and alcohol treatment and strict behavioral guidelines that can land a participant back in prison for a short term or permanently. A two-year pilot project has proven effective in reducing recidivism, and the project is in the process of being rolled out statewide.
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Drones With Weapons Are Latest Prison Threat
Detroit News, (08/28/2017), Michael Gerstein
An Aug. 17 incident involving the use of a drone to drop contraband into the Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility marked the third time in 2017 that a drone has made such an intrusion into a Michigan correctional facility. Several additional attempts have resulted in crashed devices or entry without dropping any contraband. The state is in the process of trying to determine how to handle this new threat while still grappling with an ongoing shortage of correctional staff.
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Report: Video Visits Can Be a "Powerful Supplement" for the Incarcerated
IndyWeek, (08/27/2017), Sarah Willets
A new report from the Vera Institute says that supplemental video visits provide increased family contact and improved relations for inmates, but that eliminating in-person visits in favor of video-only visits can have negative results. As the report was released, the Durham County (N.C.) Detention Facility is preparing for the launch of video visitation this fall, and the Sheriff's Office says these video kiosks will be used in a supplementary manner.
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Drone Carrying Cellphones Crashes Over Georgia Prison
WCTV, (08/25/2017), Associated Press
A drone carrying cellphones recently crashed near Macon State Prison in Oglethorpe, Ga. A guard drove to the crash site and recovered the contraband.
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