NCJ Number
216268
Journal
Corrections Today Magazine Volume: 68 Issue: 6 Dated: October 2006 Pages: 26-28
Date Published
October 2006
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article describes some of the interesting and emerging technologies that were showcased at the recent annual Innovative Technologies for Community Corrections Conference, convened by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC).
Abstract
The technologies described are: (1) software designed to monitor sex offenders' computers; (2) a hybrid TV/Global Positioning System (GPS) able to track offenders while they are indoors; (3) equipment to integrate crime incident data with offender location data; (4) a near infrared spectroscope to measure alcohol content in body tissue; (5) a driver monitoring system; and (6) an automated system that analyzes offender sleep patterns to prescreen for substance use. The software tool for monitoring sex offenders' computers was designed to assist nontechnical probation and parole officers to quickly scan an offender's computer and create a report. The software is free and is called Field Search because it can be downloaded onto a CD or flash drive and taken into the field. The hybrid TV/GPS technology was conceived as a way of tracking offenders in indoor locations or underground. The technology is meant to compliment conventional GPS-based monitoring, not replace it. The system designed to integrate crime incident data with offender location data was designed to reduce crime by increasing offender accountability and to provide officers with an effective investigation tool that could place offenders at crime scenes. The near infrared spectroscopy uses a light source, an optical detector, and a spectrometer to analyze the chemical makeup of body tissue and measure alcohol levels. The driver monitoring system helps community corrections agents monitor offenders with suspended, revoked, or restricted driver's licenses by detecting and recording a subject's body movements and comparing them with movements consistent with driving a car. The automated system that analyzes sleep patterns for possible substance use has been used since 2004 and evaluation reports suggest that the technology can be a cost-effective screening tool for offender drug and alcohol use. The next annual conference is tentatively planned for June 4-6, 2007 in St. Louis. Endnotes