Engineering Self-Service Correctional Facility Biometric Computer-Based Systems

Faced with rising costs and rampant overcrowding, correctional facilities are turning to computer-based systems for help. More than 2.3 million people currently live in US prisons or jails-25 percent of the world's total inmate population-a comparatively much higher rate than in other Western countries. Denmark only incarcerates 66 of every 100,000 citizens, compared to 760 in the US. This situation results from tough sentencing policies that focus on drug use and habitual offenders. Over three decades, these policies contributed to high incarceration rates and resulting high costs. Self-service systems as well as biometric tracking are seen as a means to reduce the management burden. Self-service kiosks in corrections facilities are a relatively new but growing phenomenon. In 2006, the Corrections Technology Association conducted a survey on the use of computer-based kiosks to help corrections agencies make decisions on implementing kiosk-based systems. The results indicated considerable interest in using kiosks for a range of applications, including distribution of general information, display of inmate account balances, purchase of goods from the commissary, and depositing inmate funds. A wide range of applications are possible. Current efforts focus on existing services, but digital technology creates possibilities for new service types that can exploit the direct distribution model, such as a law library and the digital media distribution of music, literature, films, and images managed through the kiosks and downloaded onto appropriate secure devices, such as MP3 players. To help succeed in reducing the management cost a common platform is required. Prisons and suppliers must agree on a set of protocols for data exchange and communication methods. This framework and the base kiosk functionality will enable developers to produce better applications, which can be used in more prisons without having to rewrite all the base functionality. To this end, this talk intends to launch a joint IEEE TC-ECBS and TC-AAS industrial working group to establish such standards for a common platform.