Criminal Justice Technology in the News

Law Enforcement News

Pinellas Co. Schools to Get Security Upgrades Improving Communication With Law Enforcement
ABC Action News, (02/13/2019), Sarah Hollenbeck
Officials plan to add a security system to schools in Pinellas County, Fla., that will feed live information to law enforcement during an active shooter situation or other large scale emergencies. The technology also features a one-button lockdown system that school staff can use on their cellphones to automatically contact law enforcement and remotely lock doors on campus from the inside.
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Area Law Enforcement Forms Team to Find Missing Children
Alexandria Town Talk, (02/12/2019), Jeff Matthews
Several law enforcement agencies in central Louisiana are participating in a venture to share resources to help to find missing children. The Joint Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team consists of personnel from sheriff's departments in Rapides, Grant, LaSalle, Natchitoches and Vernon parishes, and police departments in Alexandria, Pineville, Natchitoches and Leesville.
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Oregon Begins Crisis Intervention Training for 911 Operators
KTVZ.com, (02/13/2019)
Oregon has begun crisis intervention training for 911 operators. The training includes a Public Safety Telecommunicator CIT class that will be relevant to 911 professionals in all areas of the state.
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New Dispatch System Helps Nine Counties Share Information, Save Money
WJAC, (02/13/2019), Bridget McClure
Nine Pennsylvania counties are using a new regional computer aided dispatch (CAD) system that allows dispatchers to see incidents in all counties. If a requested fire department or ambulance service from another county is out of service, CAD will automatically call the next available unit.
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Sheriff's Office to Get Device That Can Download Info From Cellphones
The Journal Times, (02/14/2019), Ricardo Torres
The Racine County Sheriff's Office plans to use Cellebrite, which can help access information from a cellphone or tablet. Police say the technology will help the department combat sex offenders and drug dealers by allowing investigators to download data.
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Moody Police Purchasing New Drug Detection Device
WBRC, (02/14/2019), John Huddleston
Police in Moody, Ala., are getting a hand-held analyzer that can identifymore than 450 illegal drugs. Police said the device can help reduce the risk of accidental exposure to harmful drugs.
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Corrections News

Alabama Gov. Ivey Unveils Proposal to Build New Prisons
Chicago Tribune, (02/13/2019), Kim Chandler for Associated Press
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey wants to build three new regional prisons that will house thousands of prisoners. Options include leasing the buildings from private companies or getting legislative approval for a state bond issue to pay for the facilities, which are estimated to cost a total of $900 million. The administration said the goal is to begin the procurement process this spring and have the new prisons open in 2022.
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Judge Signs Order for Rehabilitation Programs at Prison
The Daily Item, (02/15/2019), Justin Strawser
A reentry initiative has been approved for inmates in Pennsylvania's Northumberland County. The program aims to prevent recidivism and improve public safety by ensuring a safe and successful transition from jail to the community. Reentry planning includes examining education, employment, housing, mental health treatment, addictions treatment and family reunification. Sentencing judges will determine the eligibility of the inmate.
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‘I Think It's Going to be Life-Changing': Agencies Team Up to Roll Out ID Machines in Idaho Prisons
KTVB, (02/14/2019), Morgan Boydston
A pilot program in four Idaho prisons will help inmates obtain identification cards on release, which officials say will help inmates integrate back into society. Case managers work to get the proper documents to submit for an identification card months before an inmate is released. Inmate IDs are sometimes lost, expired or taken and destroyed on incarceration.
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Body Scanners Helping Combat the Opioid Epidemic at the Montgomery County Jail
WKEF/WRGT, (02/15/2019), Bryn Caswell
Officials say body scanners at the Montgomery County Jail in Ohio are helping to detect drugs and other contraband. In 2018, officers seized 600 items at the time of booking, much of it because of the scanner.
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State Senate Anti-Drone Bill Moves Forward
Brunswick News, (02/12/2019), Wes Wolfe
The Georgia state Senate Public Safety Committee has passed a bill that would create no-fly zones over any detention facility in the state, and ban photography of those facilities without a permit. It covers state prisons, probation detention facilities, jails and any similar institution operated by the federal government, state, localities or a private corporation.
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Search of Ohio Prison Turns Up Several Fake Guns, Explosive
Associated Press, (02/13/2019)
A search of a maximum-security Ohio prison turned up three fake handguns, drawings of handguns, and a fake explosive device, officials said. The weapons, made to resemble Glock handguns, were made of bars of soap, pieces of eyeglasses, battery casings and carbon paper from legal kits provided to inmates.
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Anti-Drug Smuggling Policies Are Increasingly Isolating Prisoners
Governing, (02/13/2019), Candice Norwood
This article examines issues surrounding correctional facilities' replacing in-person visits with video calls and enacting strict mail policies in an effort to deter contraband in prisons.
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'An Awakening': 24/7 Sobriety Program Credited With Turning Lives Around
Omaha World-Herald, (02/13/2019), Paul Hammel
This article discusses a strict sobriety pilot program in Nebraska for people repeatedly arrested for drunken driving. The 24/7 Sobriety Program currently is offered in Douglas and Lancaster Counties for a limited number of people. A bill introduced in the Nebraska legislature would standardize the program statewide.
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Four Reasons Medication-Assisted Treatment May Not Help Inmates
CommonWealth (01/04/2019), Andrew Klein
This opinion piece examines issues related to medication-assisted treatment for inmates.
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