Market Survey of Location-Based Offender Tracking Technologies, Version 1.1

• NCJ Number: 249889
• Author(s): Stephen R. Taylor; Subramaniam Kandaswamy (Kanda); Timothy Evans; David Mahaffey
• Date Published: January 2016
• Length: 166 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2013-MU-CX-K111
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Survey; Report (Technical Assistance); Report (Grant Sponsored)

Annotation

This report presents the findings and methodology of a market survey of offender tracking systems (OTS) in terms of available hardware and software, so as to assist public-safety and criminal-justice practitioners who are considering the acquisition and implementation of this type of technology.

Abstract

This report provides basic information on the principal OTS subsytems, their interfaces, and communications flow. OTS hardware and software components report the location and corresponding time data at programmed intervals for individuals assigned OTS bracelets. Although each OTS vendor has unique software that processes and monitors the location data provided by the bracelet, most provide end users with access to their software through the Internet. They also typically have the ability to create inclusion zones, exclusion zones, and schedules that can be stored either in the device or in software at a data center. Either the agency or the vendor may perform offender monitoring. The market survey produced data on 16 OTS products manufactured by 13 venders. One section of this report provides an overview of the OTS industry and the respective capabilities OTS technology at the time of the report's publication (January 2016). The broad categories of information solicited from vendors in the market survey were vendor information, product information, usability, features and functions, and performance and security. The request for information (RFI) was sent to vendors of OTS and also posted as a Notice of Request for Information in the Federal Register. The survey findings are presented in three distinct ways. First, the data are presented in a table that provides an overview of OTS across the responses. Second, the data are presented on a vendor-by-vendor basis. Third, the full-text vendor responses are appended. Future OTS trends and an OTS standard are discussed as next steps. 17 figures, 3 tables, 36 references, and appended detailed information on methodology