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Biometrics Gaining Traction

  

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  Increasingly, biometric technology is making its presence known in today’s modern day correctional facilities.  The public safety sector is utilizing biometrics to:

• Comprehensively manage inmates from intake to release
• Help increase security
• Speed up visitor and inmate check-in and check-out
• Verify identities before release
• Improve inmate accountability

Accurate inmate identification at each step of their incarceration is paramount to the success of any Offender Management System (OMS).  From initial intake to charges, sentencing, property, housing, medical, meal planning, scheduling and temporary release, biometric fingerprint technology is exceptional because it boosts security, creates efficiencies and eliminates paperwork which leads to increased staff productivity.   By establishing a biometric identification system through fingerprint recognition, facilities can breathe easier knowing that the true identity of an inmate is never an issue and that the specter of disastrous consequences resulting from false identification has been negated.

How Can Biometrics Help?

1. Security – Implementation of biometric technology eliminates the misidentification of inmates and visitors leaving no doubt about an individual’s identity.  No more swapping bracelet ID’s, inadvertently granting access to unauthorized individuals, distributing medications to the wrong inmate or releasing inmates by mistake through forgery or mistaken identity.  Biometrics virtually eliminates liability inherent with identity management in public safety. 
2. Efficiencies – Biometrics can also be a major time saver.  Individual identification is fast and accurate compared to antiquated systems that require cumbersome administrative procedures that clog the check-in and check-out process.  By saving time and streamlining tasks, biometrics opens the door for management and staff to reallocate their time and resources to other projects and initiatives and remove the unnecessary burdens that the old system may have created.
3. Tracking – By establishing biometric check-in stations throughout the facility, biometrics also helps to accurately track inmate movements with precision and accuracy.  Biometric technology leaves no doubt about the location of any individual at any time and assists with creating a facility roadmap which can in turn be used for real time reporting, planning, or design purposes.
4. Logistics – Biometric systems are easy to use, require little to no maintenance and can be up and running in a very short period of time.  Biometric readers easily plug into PC USB ports for quick set up and mobility throughout the facility.  This mobility renders biometric systems a versatile tool that can rapidly be moved wherever it is needed as conditions warrant, or established as a standalone, static identification station.

The Time Is Now To Adopt Biometric Technology

Due to increasing crime rates, correctional facilities are finding it difficult to securely manage the ever-growing number of prisoners and their identification records.

Proper identification of inmates prior to release is critical to public safety, and often times, over-populated and under-staffed facilities may release unauthorized inmates due to human error or to inmates swapping ID bracelets with other inmates.  Biometric fingerprint identification solutions provide a fail-safe way to properly manage correctional facilities.  By placing biometric readers at key areas throughout a facility, the OMS can track inmate movements throughout the day and inmate whereabouts can be determined at any time, which increases inmate accountability and in turn, increases overall facility security and safety.

This post was submitted by John Trader, Communications Specialist with M2SYS Technology, a leading biometrics provider for the Corrections Industry.