Criminal Justice Technology in the News

Law Enforcement News

NYPD Develop VR Simulation to Foster Mutual Understanding Among Community Members
ELearning Inside, (01/23/2019), Henry Kronk
Options, a collaborative VR effort that includes the New York Police Department and the New York Police Foundation, takes youth through scenarios such as getting pressured to join a gang, facing pressure to commit a crime or being stopped by police. The program is an attempt to improve social and emotional learning skills among the city's youth and to promote greater connections between police and the community.
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What 'Implicit Bias' Is, and How Police in Ada County Are Training Against It
Idaho Press, (01/24/2019), Tommy Simmons
Since August 2017, some 60 percent of the deputies with Idaho's Ada County Sheriff's Office have taken an internally developed implicit bias training course, and staff recently began offering the course to members of surrounding agencies as well. Such training has been recommended as a "best practice" for law enforcement; this article takes an in-depth look at how one agency implements it.
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Smaller Police Departments Dropping Body Camera Programs Amid High Costs
PoliceOne.com, (01/23/2019)
Evidence retention laws combined with increased video storage costs have caused a number of small law enforcement agencies to drop their body-worn camera programs. A leading manufacturer of the cameras reports that every department that has canceled a contract says it is due to the high cost of maintaining the program.
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Several Lenape Regional High School District Schools Implement Opioid Awareness Program
Cherry Hill Courier-Post, (01/25/2019), Celeste E. Whittaker
Shawnee and Cherokee High Schools have implemented a program called NotEvenOnce, wherein health and physical education teachers work with counselors and school resource officers to teach students about the dangers of opioid use. Developed by New Jersey's Manchester Police Department, the program uses personal experiences to bring home its message.
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New Training Will Improve Response by Law Enforcement to People in Mental Health Crisis
New Hampshire Union Leader, (01/26/2019), Dave Solomon
A new training for state police and emergency responders on the Crisis Intervention Team approach will start in February at the New Hampshire Fire Academy. The training has a goal of enabling first responders to better cope with individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. According to the Attorney General's office, approximately 50 percent of uses of deadly force in the state involve individuals with a mental illness.
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Police Officer 'OK' After Being Shot in Bulletproof Vest During West Rogers Park Standoff
Chicago Tribune, (01/26/2019), Hannah Leone and Rosemary Schol
An officer responding to a family disturbance call took a shot off his ballistic-resistant vest Saturday night in Chicago's West Rogers Park neighborhood. The suspect, who was experiencing a mental health crisis, was eventually taken in for a mental health evaluation. The officer was examined at a nearby hospital and released.
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Muncie-based Social Media Training Goes Nationwide
Newslink Indiana, (01/28/2019), Michelle Kaufmann
The Police Social Media Academy, developed by a Muncie (Ind.) police officer and a retired sheriff's deputy, will hold upcoming trainings in Pennsylvania and California. Started in 2017 to bring a law enforcement perspective to social media use, the course covers what and when to post on social media, how to deal with criticism and algorithms. The officers have traveled around Iowa for the past 18 months sharing their training.
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Campus Police Unveil New Prescription Medication Drop-Off Box
The AllState.org, (01/28/2019), Maisie Williams
Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn., has launched use of a prescription drug drop-off box in a move to help combat the opioid crisis. Campus police have partnered with the state to obtain the secure box, where anyone can anonymously drop off unwanted prescription drugs.
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Corrections News

Mass Incarceration Threatens Health Equity in America
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, (01/15/2019), Acker J, Braveman P, Arkin E, Leviton L, Parsons J, and Hobor G
This article takes an in-depth look at a new report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, produced in partnership with the University of California, San Francisco. The report examines the links between mass incarceration and health equity. Through pairing data with examples of successful approaches, it shows how mass incarceration negatively impacts everyone's health and well-being, and also suggests solutions for reducing both incarceration and crime rates and increasing opportunities for all.
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Should Prisoners Have Access to College Grants? A New Report Says They Should
The State, (01/25/2019), Lucas Daprile
A new study from the Vera Institute for Justice and Georgetown Law's Center on Poverty and Inequality says that low-income prisoners should have access to Pell Grants to improve their education and reduce their chances of re-offending on release. The report says that if half of those eligible in South Carolina accepted a grant, it would cost the federal government approximately $5.3 million while saving the state a projected $1.3 million in re-incarceration costs.
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Brownsville Federal Court Using Electronic Monitoring to Cut Costs
KRGV.com, (01/23/2019)
This article looks at how local courts have been using various forms of electronic monitoring as an alternative to incarceration, and notes the risks inherent in using electronic monitoring so close to the border with Mexico.
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In Kansas, Algorithms Might Rewrite Who Stays In Jail and Who Bails Out
KCUR.com, (01/22/2019), Nomin Uhiyediin
This article looks at the circumstances surrounding the convening of a task force by the Kansas Supreme Court to study pretrial reforms. Recommendations will be submitted in mid-2020. Several other states have already changed their procedures for awarding bail; existing procedures sometimes appear to discriminate against low-income individuals.
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Nearly Half of Colorado Inmates Are Parole Eligible But Still Behind Bars. Some Lawmakers Hope to Change That.
The Colorado Independent, (0/16/2019), John Herrick
Nearly half of Colorado's inmate population is eligible for parole, but many of them still remain incarcerated. This report looks at the reasons why and potential solutions.
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Senators Offer Bills to Retain Prison Staff
KETV, (01/22/2019), Andrew Ozaki
Nebraska state senators are introducing bills mandating restrictions on mandatory overtime and increased longevity pay in an attempt to help improve conditions for the state's corrections officers. Ongoing contract negotiations between the state and the corrections officers' union have stalled. Negotiations are set to go in front of the Court of Industrial Relations February 14.
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RIT Study: More Than Half of Child Pornography Probationers Had Sexual Contact With Kids
Democrat & Chronicle, (01/09/2019), Gary Craig
A study conducted by researchers at the Rochester Institute of Technology says that more than 50 percent of men on federal probation in western New York for child pornography possession have had instances of "sexual contact with children that were previously unknown to legal authorities." Federal probation officials, who requested the study, said report findings align with their experiences.
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