Criminal Justice Technology in the News

Law Enforcement News

Missouri School District Gets $4.3 Million to Upgrade School Security
Campus Security & Life Safety, (11/06/2018), Jessica Davis
The school board in Springfield, Mo., has allotted $4.3 million to improve safety in public schools. Plans include a new visitor screening process and increasing active shooting training, building safety and security training.
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Fort Smith Directors OK $1.8M for Police Body Cameras, Equipment
Times Record, (11/07/2019), Jadyn Watson-Fisher
The board of directors for the city of Fort Smith, Ark., has approved $1.8 million for the police department to purchase equipment such as body cameras, new vehicles and in-car camera systems.
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Digital Mapping to Help First Responders Locate Emergencies in Schools
Burlington County Times, (11/08/2019), Danielle DeSisto
Schools and community organizations in Burlington County, N.J., now have a digital mapping service available to help first responders identify locations of emergencies. The project asks schools and groups to add an accurate depiction of the interior and exterior grounds of buildings into a cloud-based database to give emergency personnel access to floor plans through their mobile devices.
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Howard Co. Police Partner With 'Neighbors' Video-sharing App to Curb Local Crime
WTOP, (11/12/2018), Hallie Mellendorf
The Howard County Police Department in Maryland is partnering with the video-sharing app Neighbors, a neighborhood watch app that uses doorbell cameras and alerts to keep the public up to date on neighborhood crime. Residents do not need to own a doorbell camera to access shared photos and videos.
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Twinsburg Township Deputies Getting Body Cameras
Twinsburg Bulletin/GateHouse Media Ohio, (11/12/2018), Jeff Saunders
The Summit County Council has approved buying four body cameras for use by Summit County sheriff's deputies in Twinsburg Township, Ohio. The $20,446 cost includes five years of maintenance and software licensing.
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Corrections News

More Oklahomans Registering for Inmate Movement Alert System
Newsok, (11/09/2018), Josh Dulaney
A program for Oklahoma residents who want to monitor inmate movement in the correctional system has more than doubled in new registrants in the past five years. The Victim Information and Notification Everyday program provides free and anonymous online and mobile app services to notify people about inmate release dates, escapes, court dates and custody status. From September 2017 to August 2018, the program received 96,900 new registrations.
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Returnees to Arkansas Prisons Fall by 41%
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, (11/06/2018), John Moritz
The number of people sent to Arkansas' prisons for violating their terms of probation or parole fell more than 41 percent in 2017, as a new law went into effect that was aimed at stemming the surge in population. However, the number of state prisoners is expected to grow by 0.9 percent annually over the next decade, according to a new report.
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Body-scanned Inmates Will Get Radiation Exposure Stats
New York Post, (11/08/2018), Rich Calder and Tamar Lapin
The New York City Health Department has issued new regulations that would allow inmates to learn how much radiation they've absorbed from body scans while incarcerated. The regulation was in response to a new state law authorizing corrections officers to again use high-powered body scanners to spot nonmetal objects, such as ceramic knives, in the possession of inmates.
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Momentum for Prison Education
Inside Higher Ed, (11/06/2018), Ashley A. Smith
This article discusses the advantages of college-level education programs in prisons, and the need for state and federal funding.
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More Drones Spotted Flying Over Delaware's Largest Male Prison
Delaware News Journal, (11/09/2018), Esteban Parra
Drones were recently spotted flying over the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center in Delaware three times in one week. The state Department of Correction is investigating whether contraband found inside the prison was dropped by the devices.
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NC High Court Weighs If Tracking Sex Offenders Reasonable
Idaho Statesman, (11/09/2018), Emery P. Dalesio for the Associated Press
North Carolina's Supreme Court is re-evaluating whether forcing sex offenders to be perpetually tracked by GPS-linked devices, sometimes for the rest of their lives, is justified or a Constitution-violating unreasonable search. The court takes up the case next month of a repeat sex offender.
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Some Denver Jail Inmates Will Again Have the Freedom to Touch Their Loved ones — Eventually
Denverite, (11/12/2018), David Sachs
Beginning in 2020, inmates at the Denver County Jail will be able to have physical contact such as a hug or handshake with family members. The rule change will be a reversal of a 2005 policy that stripped inmates of their right to have physical contact with outsiders.
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Report: Tech Will Enable, Not Threaten Future Government Jobs
Government Technology, (11/07/2018), Theo Douglas
A report predicts six public-sector positions that could exist by 2025 and beyond, and examines how technology will help their effectiveness. One of the envisioned positions is criminal redirection officer, who would assist low-risk, nonviolent offenders in "virtual incarceration," skill-building and employment, monitored by digital tools.
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