Criminal Justice Technology in the News

Law Enforcement News

In a High-tech Age, 'Low-tech' Bloodhounds Still Used in Law Enforcement
News 12 New Jersey, (11/28/2018)
The Middlesex County (N.J.) Search and Rescue Team recently added a fourth bloodhound. The team uses dogs to find New Jersey residents with Alzheimer's or autism who have wondered off, as well as other missing persons; the dogs have been known to follow scents as much as 14 months old.
Link to Article

DNA Technology Can Create Unbelievable Suspect Sketches From Crime Scene Samples
KCBY 11, (11/29/2018), Joce Sterman and Alex Brauer for Circa
This article takes an in-depth look at Snapshot, a technology created by Parabon Labs that creates suspect sketches based on DNA. Some departments have used the technology to successfully solve cases, but it also has its drawbacks and critics.
Link to Article

Bullet-proof Vest Saves Ouachita Deputy; Shooter Sought
ArkLaTexHomepage.com, (12/2/2018), Nancy Cook
An Ouachita Parish, La., sheriff's deputy survived a shot in the back while on patrol thanks to his ballistic-resistant vest. The shot ricocheted off the vest into the backseat of the deputy's car. He had been responding to a report of a shooting; his partner took him to the hospital, where he was examined and released.
Link to Article

State Money Will Provide Personal Alarm Systems to 4,000 Teachers, Staff Members
Watertown Daily Times, (12/04/2018), Susan Mende
In New York's Lawrence County, more than 4,000 teachers and some staff members in 32 school districts and technical centers will begin wearing personal safety alarms linked to local first responders, thanks to funding from the state's Military Base Retention Fund. Buttons can be worn on a lanyard, attached to a belt or stowed in a pocket.
Link to Article

The Public, Police Use New Tools to Fight Theft by 'Porch Pirates'
San Bernadino Sun, (12/04/2018), Beatriz E. Valenzuela
This article looks a number of strategies being used to combat the growing number of package thefts from open porches. Strategies include using unmarked police cars to follow delivery trucks, sharing footage from home surveillance cameras with law enforcement and having packages delivered to alternate locations.
Link to Article

Corrections News

AI Tech: New Alcohol Interlock Stops Drunk Driving
The Green Sheet, (11/30/2018), Lynn Walford
The Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety Program (DADSS) is testing in-vehicle alcohol detection sensors that check when a driver has a blood alcohol concentration at or above the legal limit of 0.08 percent, with a goal of offering it as a safety option for new vehicles. Alcohol interlock devices can be a major deterrent against driving while intoxicated.
Link to Article

Jailed 'Iceman' Hacker Charged With Drone-smuggling Scheme Orchestrated From Behind Bars
Washington Times, (12/01/2018), Andrew Blake
An incarcerated computer hacker serving in federal custody recently was indicted on new charges involving smuggling contraband into a correctional facility. Max Ray Vision has been charged with nine federal counts allegedly involving smuggled cellphones, stolen banking data and a consumer-grade drone.
Link to Article

What a SC Extortion Plot Reveals About the Danger of Cellphones in Prison
Post and Courier, (11/29/2018), Gregory Yee
Four accused inmates appeared in federal court in Charleston, S.C., recently for arraignment on charges related to an extortion plot conducted by using contraband cellphones. An assistant U.S. attorney requested that the men, who pleaded not guilty, be held in federal custody in local jails because of the high prevalence of contraband cellphones in the South Carolina correctional system.
Link to Article

Operation "Cash Cow' Nets 106 Charges on Prison Contraband Hidden in Everyday Items
ABC 4 News, (11/30/2018), Anne Emerson
A South Carolina grand jury has indicted 17 defendants – including inmates, civilians and a corrections officer – on 106 charges related to smuggling contraband cellphones. Distribution methods for the devices included a bakery, a prison dairy farm and workers who had access to state house grounds.
Link to Article

Officials Recommend Better Training, Health Screenings, Funding To Address Utah's Jail Deaths
KUER 90.1, (11/282/2018), Erik Neumann
A report from the Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice shows that almost 50 percent of deaths reported in the state's county jails over the past five years occurred during the first two weeks of an individual's incarceration. In addition, approximately one-half of all deaths were due to suicide. Recommendations from stakeholders based on the report include screening new inmates for substance abuse and mental health disorders, connecting corrections staff to trained health workers through telehealth technology and providing additional funding.
Link to Article