Criminal Justice Technology in the News

Police: Gunman Continued Firing After Shooting Chicago Cop in the Hand
Chicago Tribune, (12/07/2017), Jeremy Gorner
A Chicago police officer was wounded in the hand but survived a number of other gunshots during an incident on Dec. 6, including one shot that was later found lodged in his ballistic-resistant vest. Two plainclothes officers had approached a group of individuals loitering in a parking lot; several of them fled and when the officers chased them, one of them turned and began firing on the officers. The wound to the hand knocked the injured officer down, and the suspect continued to fire at the downed man.
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Police, Sheriff's Offices Receive Grants from Criminal Justice Services Board
Martinsville Bulletin, 12/11/2017), Paul Collins
A total of $116,109 in federal grant funding for agencies or nonprofit groups in the city of Martinsville and Henry and Patrick counties has been approved by the Virginia Criminal Justice Services Board. A $19,750 Byrne/Justice Assistance Grant was approved for the Martinsville Police Department to offer training titled "Evidence-based practices of First-line Supervision in 21st Century Policing." The project will provide training for first-line law enforcement supervisors with the appropriate skills necessary for supervising officers in the 21st century with an emphasis on community policing.
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Erie-Area State Police Handle Record Year for Homicides
Goerie.com, (12/11/2017), Tim Hahn
Criminal investigators in Pennsylvania State Police Troop E are wrapping up a record-breaking year for homicides. Investigators in the troop, which covers Erie, Crawford, Warren and Venango counties, have investigated 15 homicides this year, nearly double the number of homicides in the troop's next-busiest year, police said. All but one of the year's cases have been cleared through arrest or other means.
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Corrections News

Electronic Monitoring Can Be a Boon to Criminal-Justice Reform
National Review, (12/07/2017), Barry Latzer
This opinion piece takes the position that increased use of GPS monitoring of individuals on probation or parole can offset the dangers generated by shortened sentences and bail reform. The author states that monitoring has been proven effective in reducing incarceration while at the same time keeping the community safe.
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Texas Prisons Ban 10,000 Books. No ‘Charlie Brown Christmas' for Inmates.
New York Times, (12/07/2017), Matt Haag
For a variety of reasons, the Texas Department of Prisons has banned a list of 10,000 books, including a specific popup edition of "A Charlie Brown Christmas," "The Color Purple" and the 1908 Sears, Roebuck catalog. Publications have been banned for their content and also their structure, which could potentially be used to smuggle contraband. However, inmates may still read Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf" and a number of books written by white nationalists.
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Drone Delivers Marijuana into Georgia Prison
Ledger-Enquirer, (12/06/2017), Larry Gierer
A new pilot project at the Autry State Prison in Pelham, Ga., alerted staff to the possible presence of a drone on facility grounds. Although staff did not locate the drone, they found two packages of marijuana on the grounds apparently dropped by it.
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Former Prison Warden Calls Escapes 'Unacceptable'
WBRC, (12/05/2017), Beth Shelburne
Two prisoners escaped from a maximum security facility in Alabama last week, with one captured later in the week. It was not immediately known how the two escaped from the St. Clair Correctional Facility, but a former system warden told this television station that the department is faced with a severe staffing shortage and rising rates of violence. 
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Should Inmates Be Allowed to Call Cellphones? Court Orders Formal Rule on Issue
Courier Post, (12/05/2017), Jim Walsh
A New Jersey appeals court has struck down a Department of Corrections policy that stops inmates from calling cellphone numbers. However, the policy of only permitting outgoing calls to landlines will stay in effect until a formal rules-making process, which will include a period of public comment and possibly a public hearing, takes place. The panel ruled in a favor of a suit that argued the policy is outdated and keeps inmates from staying in touch with their families.
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Weapons, Drugs, Phones: Contraband Flows into Jails Despite Technology
WHIOTV, (12/07/2017), Lauren Pack
The Butler County Sheriff's Department and the Middletown Police Department both face a constant struggle to keep contraband out of correctional facilities, even with assistance from technology. The opioid epidemic is driving inmates to search for more creative ways to smuggle drugs and other contraband, in an attempt to defeat modern technology and employee vigilance.
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The End of American Prison Visits: Jails End Face-to-Face Contact – and Families Suffer
The Guardian, (12/09/2017), Shannon Sims
This article provides an in-depth look at the myriad issues surrounding the use of video visitation in correctional facilities. Many facilities that implement online visits then eliminate in-person visits, which officials say cuts down on contraband and helps ease staffing issues. However, many studies and organizations say that in-person visits help inmates stay connected to society and reduce chances of recidivism.
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States to Try New Ways of Executing Prisoners. Their Latest Idea? Opioids.
Washington Post, (12/09/2017), William Wan and Mark Berman
Nevada and Nebraska face opposition to their new plans to use fentanyl to assist with inmate executions from both doctors and death penalty opponents. States are seeking new methods of execution because pharmaceutical companies are refusing to supply the drugs previously used.
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