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April/May 2015
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Courts Today 69 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH 03755
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Vol. 13 No. 2
Case Management Systems: What To Consider
ACCOMMODATING DISABILITIES
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with alternative & diversion programs
Publisher & Executive Editor Thomas S. Kapinos Assistant Publisher Jennifer Kapinos
A P R I L / M AY 2 015
Editor Donna Rogers
VOLU M E 13 N U M B E R 2 F EATU R E S
Contributing Editors Michael Grohs, Bill Schiffner G.F. Guercio, Kelly Mason Art Director Jamie Stroud
6 Case Management Systems:
Marketing Representatives Bonnie Dodson (828) 479-7472
14 Accommodating Disabilities
Art Sylvie (480) 816-3448
Features To Consider In the Courthouse
Peggy Virgadamo (718) 456-7329
20 Dynamic Judicial Signage 24 Ignition Interlock Issues
Technology on Display at AIIPA
28 Drug Testing: Probation & Parole Protocol + Products
with alternative & diversion programs
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CO U RT S I N T H E M E D I A COURTS' IMPROVEMENT FUND BROKE; CUTS COMING, JUDICIAL COUNCIL SAYS With a crucial judiciary coffer running at a deficit, California's Judicial Council met in mid-April to deliver a painful blow of funding cuts to trial court security, technology, court-appointed counsel for juveniles and complex civil litigation, Courthouse News Service reported. The Improvement and Modernization Fund (IMF), for years a source of funding for court technology projects, interpreters, court security, judicial education, subscriptions to publications, jury management, self-help centers and a host of other projects and programs, is $11 million in the hole, it stated. "There is no money in the IMF," Judge Laurie Earl of Sacramento gravely told the council. "Any action you do today needs to be based on there's no money in the IMF. This fund runs at a deficit. It has a structural imbalance and we need to act now or we'll be forced off the cliff that is looming. The cliff is here and we are standing at the edge of it." (Earl chairs the council's trial court budget advisory committee, and is co-chair of its revenue and expenditure subcommittee.) On April 17, Earl's committee recommended that the council approve about $10.8 million in cuts, which will
eliminate funding for nine programs, including publication subscriptions, trial court security grants, alternative dispute resolution centers and the complex civil litigation program, which funds complex civil litigation staff in the superior courts of Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles, Orange, San Francisco, and Santa Clara County. The recommendations were a last-ditch effort to save the fund from insolvency, but the notion of de-funding programs like trial court security and complex civil litigation did not sit well with many council members. A deluge of phone calls and emails from complex civil litigation attorneys who asked that the issue be tabled for further study signaled the strong opposition to the action. Judge Brian McCabe of Merced said he wasn't pleased with slashing of $1.2 million from security. He said extra security funding was crucial, since he and 150 others recently witnessed the fatal shooting in his courtroom of a man who "assaulted the court with two 10-inch blades." "In essence, we are choosing between whether we cut off our left hand or right hand, but either choice is not going to be pleasant and it is going to hurt," McCabe said. He added: "Notwithstanding, taking that local hat off and putting the statewide one on, I get it. I get that we have a deficit and we have to address it. I get that there is going to be some painful decisions here and that this is meant as a temporary stop-gap until we can figure out some either funding solutions or better mechanisms." The council also voted to cut five courts loose from IMF support to maintain remnants of the now-defunct software project called the Court Case Management System, at about $7 million a year. San Diego, Orange County, Ventura County and Sacramento signed on early to the project, which was intended to unite the state's 58 trial courts under one case-tracking software system. The project was terminated in 2012 amidst damning criticism from legislators, trial judges, court employees and union leaders as a costly and technologically unwieldy boondoggle. The courts that are currently using V3, the latest version of the system that the Legislature allowed the Judicial Council to support with the IMF, are all looking to replace their systems with software from vendors like Tyler Technologies and Thomson Reuters. The plan is to incrementally wean the courts off the funding over four years, but the question remains as to how these courts will pay for their new systems. Ventura County is particularly concerned, Second Appellate District Court Judge Judith Ashmann-Gerst told the council. Ashmann-Gerst, the council's liaison to the Ventura court, said the court is interested in a deal with Tyler, but has no way to pay for it. Meanwhile, the council unanimously voted to withdraw funding for V3 in 2016 and its tech committee will begin looking for alternate funding sources.
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BY DONNA ROGERS, EDITOR
CASE
Management Systems What to look for when considering a system for your Court.
Courtview’s CMS can be accessed on any internet-capable device— desktop, portable, tablet, or smartphone.
Leroy Jethro Gibbs on the SPECIAL TV series AGENT NCIS portrays a character who, while he may be courageous and a fatherly boss, is a techno-phobe who doesn’t even seem to be able to use his own computer. He recently got a smartphone but was teased whether he knew how to send a text. Yet, despite being decidedly low-tech, he depends heavily on his tech-savvy staff to ping criminals’ cell phones in seconds and to piece together forensic matches to the most minuscule evidence left at
a crime scene and round up the most egregious terrorists. Most courts today see the value in a case management system, though paying for it may be the biggest hurdle to implementation. Those in the field tell us other significant issues that may preclude the court from getting their CMS set up efficiently are lack scaleability and configurability and a system that is not comprehensive enough to account for the court’s workflow in its entirety. We spoke with some of the major software providers in the field who discussed how they overcome some of the predominant pit-
falls in implementing a smooth-running system. “Currently, the primary obstacle to courts implementing a case management system are the financial challenges faced by many cities and counties,” says Robert Wilson, president of Syscon, Inc. “Although the situation is gradually improving, budgeting for a case management system can be a difficult sell.” He goes on to say that if one considers the staff time saved by a system, the improvement in collections of fines and fees due to automation, and better (and fairer) decisions by the court due to more accurate and
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timely information, “oftentimes a system can be justified in spite of budget constraints.” With careful study, a way may be found to fund a system through bonds, public-private partnerships, financing, etc. And the quick ROI can in many instances justify the cost. Another issue courts face is the growing concern over security and access to the courthouse. They should consider ways that allow their constituents to interact with them without ever having to physically go to the courthouse, suggests Phil Hatton, VP, Justice Solutions Manager. Self-service options are a growing trend as the workforce not only finds it difficult to leave work, but expects access to the court on their terms much like the service they get from banking and entertainment, he says. To meet this challenge, Xerox case management solutions provide a suite of online options that allow constituents to interact with courts when it is most convenient for them. Constituents can search for case information, manage traffic tickets, make payments, and even complete filings for certain case types—providing convenient, secure access to the court any time of the day, notes Hatton.
Comprehensive system A comprehensive system and a capable partner are two of the most important things to consider when looking at case management systems for a court, according to Michael Kleiman, director of Marketing, Tyler Technology’s Courts & Justice Division. Because integrating with other systems is one of the most complicated, time consuming and expensive parts of creating a solution, having a single comprehensive system in place saves headaches.
Implementing a comprehensive system creates end-to-end processes for the court that make using it efficient, easy to manage and cost effective, he points out. “The more that a single system can do, the more likely it is that modules will work together and be on a similar enhancement path.” In addition, implementing a new case management system is a huge investment of time, money and political capital. This is the reason a solid partner is important. Without a partner that has a track record of success with the product they are installing, Kleinman points out, “courts can’t have confidence that their investment is a good one, and will remain good five years down the line.” He furthers that Odyssey is an integrated case management system—it not only includes case management, but also document management, e-filing, a public access Web portal, workflow, touchscreens for the bench, and modules for jail management, supervision and for the Prosecutors’ office so that everything works together seamlessly. Odyssey is so successful, he says, because Tyler has “the expertise, resources and commitment to make every one of our implementations a success.” He reports Tyler has clients in more than 600 counties across 21 states, and 10 complete states using Odyssey successfully. New clients benefit from the expertise of the Courts & Justice Division’s more than 500 staff, including more than 100 developers who work full time to improve the product. The ability to be able to customize a CMS is also an essential feature to seek out. Many “off-theshelf” systems are rigid and are simple out-of-the-box systems that are not always the best solution for a court with specific needs or workflow, says Jeff Nadler, vice president of sales with McGirr Technologies. McGirr’s CMS includes “a built-
in suite of automation engines that can be managed by departmental staff, without the need for vendor support. These include a flexible and comprehensive workflow platform, an automated resource scheduling engine and a correspondence module, as well as automated case management steps, events, notifications etc.,” he states, adding, “The framework and processes can be easily configured as required by court staff to adapt smoothly and rapidly to changing business requirements.” The ability to be easily configured is important not only to be tailored to the individual court initially but so that it can be altered as court processes change. “Courts updating or replacing their current case management solution should consider how a solution will meet their current needs and adapt to future requirements for years to come,” stresses Mandy E. Peterson, Communications, Journal Technologies. She says that because their eCourt system is “highly configurable, it will evolve with processes within a court as they change over time. Our configuration specialists teach our customers to modify and update processes during implementation, through ongoing training, and technical support via a team of highly-trained customer support specialists.” “Configurability is unquestionably the most important feature to consider in a CMS,” concurs Adam Watson, account manager, Synergy International Systems, Inc. “A system that cannot dynamically adapt to changes in business processes will not survive. He says that Synergy’s systems are built on a configurable platform that enables them to customize the CMS for each client, “enabling us to dynamically adapt to the uncertain and often changing requirements that we encounter with clients who may be transitioning from paper April/May 2015x
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based to electronic systems for the first time.” Pamela Dancil, product marketing manager with AutoMon, LLC, agrees that one of the most important features that courts, as well as probation, parole and pretrial agencies, should consider is flexibility and configurability, along with cost-effectiveness for both software implementation and for the long-term. Dancil reports that over the years, AutoMon has worked with community supervision and corrections agencies across the country and observed dramatic changes in supervision practices. Regulatory and legislative changes have had a significant impact on agency responsibilities, and the steady and sometimes rapid growth in the population of supervised individuals further impacts resources and funding. The supervision landscape has led organizations to search for a more flexible case management system that can accommodate new laws and regulations with minimal costs incurred to the agencies. She says this realization has informed AutoMon on how to design, develop and deploy its software solutions to be highly configurable and flexible. “One of our core philosophies is that the costs of industry change should be borne by the community of users together so that development costs are shared. This means functionality developed for one agency is delivered to other agencies
for only the cost of localizing the solution,” she comments. This approach has resulted in a significant financial competitive advantage in this market, she furthers. Thus even by selecting an off-the-shelf CMS, the agency can minimize costs and mitigate risks associated with extensive development efforts and a
specialized applications that provide deep functionality in areas of supervision and focus on eliminating manual, redundant tasks and provide industry-leading analytical tools. These SaaS solutions are tightly integrated with Caseload Explorer, allowing for a seamless user experience across all products, Dancil says.
‘Workflow, workflow, workflow’
long software implementation. In drilling down to her specific solution, she says that by leveraging its domain expertise, AutoMon has invested heavily in the development of SaaS products to complement the core Caseload Explorer’s breadth. Its SaaS product suite, called Ce Connect, includes solutions for assessments, drug testing, check-in (web and kiosk), analytics, and a mobile solution. These products are
When asked what is most important in choosing a CMS, Sue Humphreys, director, Industry Solutions with CourtView Justice Solutions, responds: “Foremost, the court should be looking for a company they can trust and with whom they can freely collaborate on the best possible system for their needs. After that, it’s workflow, workflow, and workflow. Given the ever-changing and fast-paced nature of court business, it’s just super important that the CMS is insanely flexible and can serve up the right information to the right people at the right time. “Along that same vein,” she furthers,” personalization is at the top of the list too—because it’s just as critical that your CMS understands the differences between user needs. What I need to see and do as an intake clerk is completely different than if I’m the finance manager or the court administrator. In any of these roles I may be looking at the exact same cases, people, or activities, but what I need to know and how I interact with the information should be very
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specific to [each role]. CourtView has built its CMS on top of business rule engines that let the court decide how their cases flow from beginning to end, she points out. “Starting with our caseand workflow templates, the court can set their own guidelines and process rules as needed, and easily keep them updated as new laws, policies, and practices come into play. We’ve even extended this right on out to how information is
presented to different roles.” Therefore, not only is the flow itself configurable (what must happen when) but what I see (how, when, where) is specific to who I am and the work I need to accomplish, she details. “The biggest value of this approach is that it eliminates unwanted ‘data smog’ and lets each person focus on what’s most critical to them.” An added bonus is that the CMS can be accessed on any internet-capable device, concludes
Humphreys. In the end, a CMS solution that is built on an open/flexible platform and is easier to integrate with internal and external systems is the top priority, says Manoj Jain, vice president, Thomson Reuters Court Management Solutions. “Today’s CMS must adapt to the ever changing technology landscape, and not be overly reliant on a specific platform or web browser (platform-independent and browser-agnostic). The
THE FUTURE OF JURY SERVICE: Text and Serve B Y G A R Y D O W E R , J U D I C I A L S Y S T E M S I NC.
What would it take to make an extremely “when do I need to report?”, “How do I get useable and efficient automated Jury there?”, etc. Jurors are also able to receive last Management System? minute changes or reminders of reporting To enhance the jury process for constituents instructions, allowing them to always know and stay ahead of the jury technology curve, whether they are needed to serve or not. that might incorporate the fastest growing form Now mJuror can not only communicate pertiof communication—texting. Texting allows a nent information to jurors by means of texting person to communicate without and email, but it also provides stopping what they are doing, authorized court personnel the to have a verbal conversation, ability to communicate with while still conveying important and manage the jury adminisinformation. Implementing this tration system itself. Court technology into the jury admin can adjust, cancel or process, allows citizens to conreschedule the reporting tinue their normal tasks while instructions for jurors from obtaining important information their smart phones by means via text. Potential jurors can of texting and email. Along truly access their juror informawith the ability to immediately tion on the go, 24/7. manage juror reporting Since mid-2012, one compainstructions, mJuror allows ny, Judicial Systems, Inc., which designated court staff such as has been serving courts since judges, bailiffs, etc., to be noti1982, has provided courts the Jurors can communicate with mJuror Jury fied instantly of such changes. convenience and efficiency of Management System by texting or emailing inquires. In addition to text and email texting and emailing. Using its announcements, court permJuror, the integrated texting and emailing sonnel now have the ability to record announcesolution provided with Jury2015Plus Jury ments to be broadcast to jurors as audio mesAdministration System, the NLP intelligent text sages in the form of MMS text and email. interpretation engine allows communication in Every court should have the latest, most efficommon non-formatted text and even texting cient and user-friendly JMS technology availslang. Jurors can communicate with mJuror by able. If your jurisdiction is interested see the texting/emailing inquires, in common non forbrief video demonstrations at www.mjurordematted syntax, such as…”where do I park?”, mo.com or call 1.800.205.4068. April/May 2015 10
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system should have built-in flexibility that allows for court specific rules and workflows to be configured and the system must be able to meet the court’s existing, and future, integration needs.” Thomson Reuters’ solution, CTrack, is built on open technologies and is platform independent (software that can run on any hardware platform, e.g., PC, Mac, SunSparc, etc., or software platform, e.g., Windows, Linux, MacOS, UNIX, etc.) and browser agnostic (accessible from any modern web browser), Jain explains. It has built-in integration services that allow IT teams to compress implementation time and supports integration with legacy and new third-party justice partner systems without relying on the vendor. In addition, C-Track Configuration Manager gives clients the ability to manage the configuration of their system on their own.
TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW AUTOMON CASELOAD EXPLORER
Caseload Explorer is a unified adult and juvenile case management system for probation, parole and pretrial agencies designed to simplify and automate all areas of supervision. In a single solution, Caseload Explorer provides a web-based case management system in a secure environment to organize, manage and share client information. Pamela Dancil Product Marketing Manager AutoMon, LLC 480-368-8555 pdancil@automon.com www.automon.com/
COURTVIEW JWORKS
With its dynamic caseflow management (DCM) engine, flexible screen builder, and role-driven
dashboards and navigation, JWorks is a highly configurable COTS case management system. What you see—and how you interact with information—can be easily tailored
to roles, teams, and individuals. Built-in workflow automatically assigns and routes outstanding todos and deadlines and lets you notify, escalate, re-route, and reassign work as needed. This unique capability goes beyond caseflow to include the flow of person information and specific activities like calendaring, warrants, investigation, financials, docketing, motion tracking, and documents to name a few. 1.800.406.4333 info@courtview.com www.courtview.com/ct
JOURNAL TECHNOLOGIES’ ECOURT
ECourt, web-based case management, accommodates all case types for courts of all jurisdictions. ECourt is database agnostic, automates repetitive tasks, brings
judges tools to the bench, and fully supports real-time in-court processing. Court professionals need only a web browser to access full eCourt functionality—meaning, eCourt is available to judges and clerks via smartphone or mobile device. No apps are necessary. Journal Technologies, Inc. 435.713.2100 jacoba@journaltechnologies.com www.journaltechnologies.com
MCGIRR MCMS
McGirr offers an advanced solution for modern, citizen-centric courts. MCMS (McGirr Court Management System) includes: streamlined, configurable case management, automated court administration, calendaring, payments etc., inCourt judicial staff module, eFiling and judicial portals. The platform is fully configurable by court administrators to support constantly changing legislative and business needs. Jeff Nadler Vice President of Sales 480-857-6341 jeff.nadler@mcgirrtech.com www.mcgirrtech.com/us/
SYNERGY INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS INC.’S CMS
Synergy's Case Management System (CMS) is uniquely designed to meet justice sector needs in developing countries, enabling governments to automate court processes, monitoring case activities, and support decision-making
through the use of real-time data and analytics. Synergy's CMS includes online data entry, analytics, reporting, workflow management, and system administration. Adam Watson Synergy International Systems, Inc. 703.883.1119 x 1001 Skype: a.c.watson Adam.Watson@synisys.com> www.synisys.com
SYSCON’S ENTERPRISE COURT CLERK AND COURT LITE SOLUTIONS
Syscon offers two case management options for courts. The first is the Enterprise version of Court April/May 2015x
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Clerk, which provides numerous case management features to streamline court operations. These include onscreen display of forms, flexible interfaces to law enforcement [including NCIC] and financial systems, biometric fingerprint recognition for user authentication and signing of court documents,
paperless court operation, automated reminder phone calls to defendants regarding scheduled court appearances, integrated online payments, and customized FTA processing. The second option is its hosted solution called Court Clerk Lite. The Lite version provides many features of the flagship product at an entry level price. It also offers a very simple upgrade path to the Enterprise version. Syscon, Inc. 1.888.797.2661 info@syscononline.com www.syscononline.com
TYLER TECHNOLOGIES’ ODYSSEY
Odyssey simplifies the path to a paper free court by providing an end-to-end solution and is used by courts in more than 600 counties across 21 states. E-Filing is included in the solution suite and works seamlessly so that electronic documents are automatically incorporated into case files. Odyssey also includes sophisticated document management, so efficiency is improved as electronic workflows automatically deliver documents to the correct queues. In addition, time
is saved and errors reduced because justice partners easily share data with Odyssey jail, attorney and supervision modules. Access to justice is enhanced with a new Web portal that guides self-represented
litigants through court forms. Tyler Technologies 1.800.431.5776 cjsales@tylertech.com www.tylertech.com
XEROX COURT CASE MANAGEMENT
Xerox case management solution and ancillary offerings combine streamlined case filing, intuitive calendar interface, powerful document
processing, flexible and efficient adjudication processing, specially designed user interfaces for court room processing, and robust accounting module with flexible payment options to make your court run more efficiently and effectively. Xerox Justice Solutions Michael Hartman 1.800.772.0597 Justice.Solutions@xerox.com www.xerox.com/justice
THOMSON REUTERS’ C-TRACK
C-Track, the innovative case management system developed by Thomson Reuters Court
Management Solutions (TR CMS), keeps cases moving efficiently through your court. C-Track provides a total court solution by integrating our e-filing, case management, and public access solutions with other court applications. Thomson Reuters Court Management Solutions 1.877.923.7800 courtmanagementsolutions@thomsonreuters.com www.thomsonreuters.com April/May 2015 12
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B Y M I C H A E L G R O H S , C O N T R I B U T I N G E D I TOR
Accommodating Disabilities in Courts BLIND JUDGES, JURORS WITH HEARING LOSS, PATRONS WITH LIMITED MOBILITY.... HOW ARE COURTS ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES?
ccording to the Census Bureau, nearly one in five— almost 58 million— Americans has a disability. The definition of disability is fairly broad, and under the ADA described as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.” More than half of respondents to the Census Bureau reported that their disability was “severe.” More than 8 million reported having difficulty seeing. Of
A
those, 2 million were blind. About 7.5 million reported having difficulty hearing. Of those, 1.1 million reported the disability as being “severe.” Over 30 million Americans suffer from mobility issues. The numbers are startling. The probability of having a severe disability is one in four for those aged 65 to 69, the population is aging, and courts are not completely prepared. Some disabilities are easier to address than others. Fredric Lederer,
director of the Center for Legal and Court Technology (CLCT), notes that courts tend to lean toward mobility issues, but there are myriad other areas to consider, and while compliance to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is clearly an important issue to address, there are also other concerns about inclusion and access. A 2006 report for Washington State Courts titled Ensuring Equal Access for People with Disabilities: A Guide for Washington
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Courts noted that there were 940,000 people in Washington who had a disability, which is a significant number for a state with a then population of 6 million. The report furthered that The Civil Needs Study, which was conducted by a task force in 2003 to study the needs for Washington’s low-income and vulnerable populations, also found those with disabilities experienced legal discrimination at a much higher rate than many other low income groups, and low income people with disabilities are the least likely group to secure legal assistance from an attorney. There is, says Lederer, a general framework to consider. The first is for access to justice during trials and hearings, where people are actually in attendance. The second is in regards to court staff who may have disabilities and may do, for example, tasks such as data entry/processing. The third is the general public who wants to access information remotely but may have hearing or sight difficulties and encounter a situation such as at one time having been able to have text read to them but finding out that someone later added graphics. The fourth are those who come to the courthouse. Federal courts generally, says Lederer, are mostly for the resolution of disputes. State courts are more involved in probate, marriage records, etc. According to the National Association for the Deaf, the ADA requires state and local courts to provide interpreters, real time captioning, assistant listening devices and other aids to ensure communication. The ADA, though, does not apply to federal courts, and state and local courts are not required to provide accommodations if doing so would “fundamentally alter the court’s services or that would result in an undue financial and administrative burden.” The question that arises is what is reasonable?
Lederer points out that one court that discussed the matter of access with CLCT responded that once a year or so the issue arises that someone who might need assistance has to wait for a clerk to help them. They may feel that, while they are in this situation, their time is valuable too, and perhaps they should simply be able to assess the material on their own. Other courts may encounter such concerns daily. Numerous courts offer training. The Washington Court Guide is a trove of information. The Tennessee Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission recently developed a training video that it states will help attorneys and legal agencies that work with persons with disabilities. Nearly 400 people attended Justice R. Fred Lewis’s training sessions that were designed to prepare participants to survey the accessibility of court facilities across Florida. There was a time, Lederer notes,
that if someone was blind or deaf, he or she would not be a juror. Now there are blind judges. Richard Bernstein, who has been blind since birth, was appointed to the Michigan Supreme Court in 2014. He prepared for 10 cases by memorizing key points in every case read to him by an aide. (On a personal note, he has also run more than 15 marathons and completed a triathlon, which involved running a 26.2 mile marathon, completing a 112 mile bike ride, and swimming 2.4 miles.) Justice Richard Teitelman of Missouri has been legally blind since age 13. Judge David Tatel, who sits on a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., is also blind. And there are now hearing-impaired jurors. That means when the jury retires to the deliberation room, there would need to be an interpreter, which is not illegal, but it is unusual, Lederer points out. Hearing difficulties vary greatly. Someone with a moderate hearing April/May 2015x
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Enersound’s Assistive Listening System can improve comprehension for people who have difficulty hearing.
loss might not be affected. As the Washington Courts Report points out, though, once that loss becomes moderate, a person will likely start misunderstanding speech and require a hearing assistance device. When the loss is profound, they may require an interpreter. The Report offers solutions to providing service. The first is to have patience and flexibility. People with hearing loss (the document also admonishes that many deaf people consider the term impairment to be offensive) might feel intimidated by court proceedings and be “distrustful and reluctant to acknowledge confusion or uncertainty.” The key is to never assume one solution will work for everyone. When choosing, courts must abide by the preference of the person in need of accommodation. Most people with such a disability
use some form of technology or sign language interpreter. The technology must also meet ADA requirements. Enersound, a West Park, Fla.-based manufacturer of language interpreting, assistive listening, and conferencing products, offers systems such as the ALS-4TP Assistive Listening System that can improve comprehension for people who have difficulty hearing. The 4Person Assistive Listening System with Neckloops and ADA Plaque is a multichannel solution (in the 72-76 MHz band) to meet the needs of the Americans with Disabilities Act standards for accessible design, useful for venues up to 100 seats. Mobility is a primary concern when it comes to the ADA, and while technologies such as PESA’s VIQ integrated solution were not specifically designed to address
ADA compliance, says John Wright, senior vice president, sales and business development at PESA, the application can significantly enhance access to courts, judicial, and public hearings for those with permanent or temporary physical limitations. “The ease of use and portability of the VIQ-PESA integrated solution allows for hearings, depositions, interviews, or arraignments to take place outside the traditional four walls of the courthouse, police station, or jail facility.” He further explains the developing use of the application. “As is beginning to occur in limited use, taking an interview recording management system to the bedside of a sexual assault or domestic violence victim can reduce the time from initial report of the incident to the granting of a restraining order. Use of a proven system such as VIQ software with the PESA hardware creates an admissible audio and more importantly video record of the victim's injuries for use in legal proceedings.” In further regards to use of remote technology, CLCT conducts experimental cases in which they study how modern technology can be used in courtrooms. One scenario CLCT is considering is if someone would make a perfect juror but due to a disability was unable to access the courtroom. Among the upcoming trials will be one in which CLCT will experiment with the world’s first remote juror who will be participating through telecommunication. The PESA VIQ system’s user interface with visual cueing could also permit a deaf operator to manage the recording of proceedings. “Additionally the multi-camera synchronization capability of PESA's hardware easily allows for the capture and recording of simultaneous sign language interpretation. For all public proceedings, having this ability will improve access for the hear-
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“As is beginning to occur in limited use, taking an interview recording management system to the bedside of a sexual assault or domestic violence victim can reduce the time from initial report of the incident to the granting of a restraining order.” —FREDRIC LEDERER
ing impaired,” according to Wright. Visualizers are a growing component in courtrooms, and manufacturers such as WolfVision are taking strides to ensure that users of all abilities are able to access them. Among those strides, says Kyle Greetham, communications manager, was placing full control of the visualizers at the head of the camera with ambidextrous design. “There is no built-in favoritism for righthanded or left-handed people, and surely this can benefit amputees.” They have also modified the units to be able to include dry erase surfaces on the working surfaces of their visualizers. “This has been a big push from us because many wheelchair-bound users cannot stand up to use a whiteboard.”
There is also the matter that many control systems are built into podiums, but if a user is unable to stand to access it, it may be of no use. “Our vSolution Connect app gives full control of all of a speaker’s materials via a control dashboard on their tablet, so they don't have to worry about switching cables or moving objects around,” he adds. Courts are becoming more and more technological, especially in audio/visual matters, and this can lead to issues of access for those with a disability. For example, says Lederer, Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) is not accessible to the blind, so a lawyer who has lost his or her sight is locked out. There is also a catch-22 to the explosion of courtroom technology,
Lederer points out. “Technology is great, but it might be making its own problem.” Courts are getting more and more visual and will continue to do so, which will be a barrier to participants with a sight impairment. A PowerPoint demonstration might make matters more difficult for someone who is blind, but it might be invaluable for someone who is deaf. It is, says Lederer, a matter with which CLCT is getting “increasingly more concerned.” It is not a new problem, but “as lawyers get more used to technology, we might be making it worse.” All the more reason to think about accommodations for those physically-challenged and how to best address accessibility for all in your court.
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BY MADDIE ALEXANDER
Dynamic JuDicial Signage What direction Will the future bring?
The fuTure
of judicial space management is dynamic signage. Technological advances in judicial digital signage are moving at a rapid pace. Current solutions are becoming more flexible and can now display directional information in both an appealing and aesthetic manner. Not all courthouses are the same. They are not built the same, do not look the same and hopefully do not have a reoccurring visitor base that is familiar with their facility. This presents multiple directional issues for the courts that were previously limited to using static wayfinding signage as the main communication between patron and personnel. A dynamic wayfinding system links everyone together, even if they do not share a common end location or language, by guiding them
through the same space with a single system of communication. The unifying language of a wayfinding system creates a public narrative of how people experience a space such as a courthouse. Each sign in a system serves a particular function. In recent years, there has been a big push by all courthouses, no matter their size, to refresh conventional static signage with new features such as electronic emergency-alert notifications, visitor messaging, touch screens and automatic dockets. These features have become priorities to courts for the success of directing patrons. In just the last four years this author has watched as dynamic wayfinding has progressed through use of identification, directional, orientation and regulatory signage. We continue to dedicate countless hours to research and development and
have found that the future of wayfinding is a bundled package of software modules that are useful to each court’s unique need.
types of signage identification signage
We often find that a series of identification signage monitors like electronic interactive maps and turn-by-turn guidance to primary destinations (lobbies, elevators and floors) and secondary destinations (Jury assembly areas, courtroom locations and emergency exits) is both effective and economical. Interactivity and independence are qualities that our systems deploy in the courthouse.
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The Infax Smart Screen module generates indoor maps as threedimensional floor plans. These can be seen on monitors, kiosks and smart devices. Maps show all building attributes like walls, stairs, elevators, emergency exits and doors. Previously courts resorted to static directories printed on paper. Three-dimensional interactive maps have been shown to be easier to use than ordinary maps for people moving through a structure, allowing users to orient themselves in space and easily correct their position if they get off track. Infax Smart Screens like kiosks can be on touchscreen monitors as well as floor standing hardware to enable court patrons to remain independent and fully informed at all times. Smart Screens offer routing as well. Should the visitor start with an information kiosk and need to move on to their final destination, the Smart Screen application can be loaded onto a smart device and the system calculates the best route
from a given starting point to a selected destination point and draws this onto 3D maps as a highlighted line leading through all relevant floors and destinations. In order to be successful, Infax believes that it is vital to integrate new digital and conventional static signage. In order for wayfinding to be effective, dynamic signage must show only the information that is needed at that particular point in the courthouse. Visitors not only know what to do when they enter the courthouse, but they also know where to go every step of the way.
directional signage DocketCall automates the daily docket and lets the patron find their name in 60 seconds or less. Automation utilizes the courts current case management systems and updates the information in real-time ensuring the directional signage is on point at all times. Continuous trends in signage include the advancement of digital directories and interactive kiosks to help orient and guide.
orientation signage Sometimes getting to the courthouse is the easiest part! Once visitors are inside they can be overwhelmed with the directional options available to them. The visitor must make decisions based only on the available and readily visible information. Orientation signage can be very useful as it can now show electronic directories.
Identification signage, which can be set up to transmit info to a mobile phone. An orientation sign informs patrons of procedures and keeps them circulating smoothly. It is important for regulatory signage to be dynamic in case of emergency. April/May 2015x WWW.COURTSTODAY.COM
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“We, at Infax, believe that in order for wayfinding to be effective, dynamic signage must show only the information that is needed at that particular point in This welcome sign orients the visitor as they enter the complex.
These systems allow for courts to manage a flowing directory or make fast changes to an upcoming docket. Changes are easily made to reflect office changes or specific updated locations. General orientation signage can show a rotation of emergency exits, specific offices, general information such as weather or traffic and a welcome message.
regulatory signage Regulatory signage is a giant leap forward in the judicial signage industry. Emergency alerts are something that we hope you never have to deploy. To help courts be prepared for the unexpected, solutions are available to help respond to any type of emergency. Infax emergency alert notifications can automatically integrate with the current fire alarm systems so that if there should be a fire emergency, all
the courthouse.� monitors automatically change to inform the patrons of specific information of the next steps. When regulatory signage is well integrated into the system, the monitors seem like an essential part of the overall experience, and not just a necessary evil. Each of the four types of signage can be shown on wall, floor or ceiling mounted as well as structure mounted hardware. Software and hardware advancements have kept the digital signage industry ever evolving. Commercial monitor hardware is becoming increasingly more powerful, slimmer and more affordable. We are seeing a request for individual monitors as small as 10 inches and as large as 95 inches. Some courts need monitors that curve or form a video wall. For the courts that want to go larger we have accommodated video walls with unlimited and expandable size. On the flip side of larger viewing screen
This orientation sign alerts the patron to a future holiday closing
area the monitors are slimmer and lighter than ever. Kiosks are becoming slimmer as well. They have more optional capabilities like video monitoring, printing, retinal scans and recording. Making these systems simplified, secured, and affordable is essential to advancing dynamic wayfinding signage and interactive technology in the judicial space. Courts have found that patrons have been able to not only find their way through the courthouse, but they are able to do it independently and without question thanks to the electronic signage. It is because all courthouses are not the same that the dynamic advanced modules in the CourtSight Suite are the future of courthouses. Maddie Alexander is the director of Judicial sales at Infax, developer of the CourtSight Suite integrated digital signage solution. She is a Women in AV contributor.
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B Y B I L L S C H I F F N E R , C O N T R I B U T I N G E D I T OR
Ignition Interlock Issues, Technology on Display at AIIPA Conference
THE ASSOCIATION OF IGNITION INTERLOCK PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS WILL BE HELD MAY 17- 20 IN ST. PAUL, MINN.
According to the AIIPA there are currently more than 300,000 ignition interlock devices installed in the U.S. The ignition interlock industry has expressed concern about their ability to field enough devices to replace the current U.S. inventory. In addition, as many states establish more ignition interlock programs, most incorporate the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) model specifications into their device certification requirements. The NHTSA encourages states to continue that practice by determining how to best implement new model specifications to strengthen the quality of BAIIDs used in their program. These and other issues will be some of the major topics being discussed at AIIPA’s Third Annual Ignition Interlock Conference, May 17- 20 in St. Paul, Minn. “AIIPA Conferences promote the advancement of state ignition interlock programs to increase traffic safety measures that will ultimately reduce impaired driving within our communities. This is made possible
through the collaboration and networking of hundreds of industry professionals from different state administrations, state jurisdictions, government organizations, ignition interlock providers, and associated manufacturers,” comments Brad Boyd vice president of Operations at Low Cost Interlock. “With numerous states expanding the use of ignition interlocks, I believe the upcoming Third Annual AIIPA Conference will focus on topics concerning implementation of the 2013 NHTSA Model Safety and Utility Specifications including the associated Quality Assurance Plan and the ignition interlock certification process, increasing vendor oversight through field operation inspections, and the utilization of new technology such as automated calibration equipment, GPS tracking, and camera usage,” Boyd adds. Adam Comeau, executive vice president of ALCOLOCK USA says that the latest trend for AIIPA is yearly manufacturer certifications in states that had indefinite certifications. “In most states the Ignition
Interlock Program Administrators are the same individuals that deal with drug impaired driving and they would like to see more attention put forward on dealing with this issue.”
More Accountability Needed
James F. Rennie, president & CEO at SafeKey Corporation, forecasts that by 2018 drugged driving offenses will surpass drinking and driving. “We do not see enough driver accountability, poor decision making, act first think later, first offenders become re-offenders at a 49% rate. We believe when a driver’s mobility is in question by using products such as the SafeKey they change the way they think prior to operating the vehicle.”
Advances in Technology
“New technology is contributing to safer roads while improving the experience for both the user and the monitoring agent,” reports Melissa Ray, director of marketing, Alcohol and Drug Detection, Dräeger Safety Diagnostics, Inc.
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She adds ignition interlock devices are constantly being updated with new features to help prevent new methods of circumnavigation. These upgrades have helped to dramatically reduce the rates of repeat DUI offenses. Here’s a sampling of some of the latest interlock systems and other testing devices that will be front and center at the conference:
INTERLOCK DEVICES EXPANDED FEATURES
ALCOLOCK USA announces the expanded features of the ALCOLOCK LR ignition interlock device, including camera, real time reporting, and GPS. These new features, combined with the simplicity and convenience of the InterTrack client management software, provide the most robust ignition interlock program on the market. http://alcolockusa.com, 1.888.937.9646
customer service, monitoring and administrative support. The SSI20/30 IID offers photo identification, GPS testing location, 24/7 online access reporting, programmable violation levels, and immediate violation notification to monitoring authorities. www.SmartStartInc.com, 1.800.880.3394
BREATHALYZER SYSTEM
The Dräger Interlock 7000 is an in-car breathalyzer that reinvents the traditional ignition interlock device to incorporate enhanced user features and monitoring capabilities. In addition, the intelligent camera, mouth alcohol detection, and GPS/GPRS options anticipate the compliance regulations. www.draeger.com/interlock7000, 1.800.332.6858
FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGY
PHOTO ID OPTION
Smart Start, Inc., a leader in alcohol monitoring with its ignition interlock and remote alcohol testing devices, provides fully integrated services, manufacturing, installation,
able violation levels, GPS monitoring, photo ID, and real-time violation notification to monitoring authorities. www.simpleiid.com, 1.844.432.4775
IGNITION KEY IMMOBILIZER
The SafeKey is a unique ignition key immobilizer that prevents a vehicle engine from starting if the driver is unfit to drive safely. It is fully independent of other driver analysis methods—breath or otherwise. About the size of a conventional automotive key, the Check Module is the testing portion of the ignition lock system. The Check Module is easy to attach to one’s key ring. As further built-in security a
given Check Module only communicates with a unique and individual code only with the interlock device specifically installed in the vehicle. www.safekeycorporation.com, 1.877.920.8230
AFFORDABLE MOBILE ALTERNATIVE
The IN-HOM S.M.A.R.T. Mobile device, SmartStart’s latest home alcohol monitoring device, is wireless and allows a user to take the device with them on the go. The unit works through Verizon’s cellu-
Simple Interlock, LLC is an alcohol monitoring company featuring advanced fuel cell technology. It provides convenient locations, 24/7 customer service, administrative support and monitoring. The Simple Interlock Co-Pilot IID offers 24/7 access to online reports, customizApril/May 2015x WWW.COURTSTODAY.COM
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lar network, giving users a lightweight, portable handheld device. It is equipped with a camera providing photo identification and also has features like GPS location and automated notifications to alert user of testing time. www.smartstartinc.com, 1.800.880.3394
WIRELESS IGNITION INTERLOCK
Intoxalock eLERT is an advanced wireless ignition interlock with camera, GPS and real-time reporting capabilities using our secure online website, LOG Reporter. LOG Reporter helps monitoring authorities manage workloads by displaying BrAC readings with corresponding photos and GPS information. www.Intoxalock.com, 1.877.777.5020
TARGET-TRACKING CAMERA SYSTEM
The LifeSafer FC100 Ignition Interlock offers an exclusive patentpending target-tracking camera system. The device features real-time reporting of violations and vehicle location. Indicator light signals handset-to-camera link, enabling test to begin. It can be separately mounted near the rearview mirror without obstructing driver’s view. www.lifesafer.com, 1.800.634.3077
ALCOHOL-MONITORING SOLUTIONS
Low Cost Interlock specializes in client lifecycle traceability by use of a proprietary calibration and data delivery system. This patented system improves breath sample accuracy, tracks fuel cell life cycles, improves security of recorded data, and allows traceability of client data from program conception through completion. Use of these innovations allows their clients to effort-
lessly satisfy any state-required obligation, says the company. www.LowCostInterlock.com, 1.800.352.4872
CONTINUOUS ALCOHOL MONITORING
includes government-grade facial recognition, high-resolution photos, BrAC results, and a GPS location with every test. Automated facial matching reduces manual photo
SCRAM Continuous Alcohol Monitoring (CAM) is the most widely used CAM product in the world, reports the company. Extensively peer-reviewed and court validated, SCRAM CAM provides a
proven deterrent to drinking. On any given day, SCRAM CAM generates an average 99.4% Sober Days rate, meaning that 99.4% of all clients being monitored by the product are sober and fully compliant with court orders. www.alcoholmonitoring.com, 1.800.557.0861
COMPACT MOBILE UNIT
The Guardian AMS 2000 features a compact design that is slightly larger than a standard cell phone. It offers reliable data logging and enhanced anti-circumvention detection. The unit also offers USB connection capability, which allows for effortless downloading of events, without having to connect the base unit in the vehicle. Additionally, participants may call a toll-free number to access technical and service personnel. www.guardianinterlock.com, 1.800.499.0994
REMOTE BREATH
SCRAM Remote Breath is the most flexible option in breath testing. It is the first handheld, wireless, portable breath alcohol tester that
review by 90%-95%, while random, scheduled, and on-demanding testing provides more flexibility to monitor clients. www.alcoholmonitoring.com, 1.800.557.0861
BREATH TESTERS
The Intoxilyzer 9000, utilizing four infrared wavelengths for sample analysis offers unparalleled performance in accuracy, precision and detection by using pulsed infrared technology. Intoxilyzer breath alcohol testers are trusted by U.S. state testing programs for evidential DUI enforcement. With breath alcohol testing products that are also used extensively in safety-related workplace alcohol testing programs, CMI breath testing instruments are ideal for court programs that require dependable safety monitoring. http://www.alcoholtest.com, 1.877.783.0028
ALCOHOL BREATH ANALYSIS
The Guth Alcotector Professional was developed and manufactured to provide reliable, fast and accurate alcohol breath analysis in a compact, portable and user-friendly electronic device. Constructed from the highest quality components available, the company reports, the Alcotector is intended for heavy commercial and
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law enforcement use without compromising sensitivity and accuracy. The LCD digital display utilizes simple visual prompts to show internal self-diagnostics and recalibration, test progress and test results. http://guthlabs.com, 1.800.233.2338
niques along with patented rolling retest feature that allows individuals to warm up their vehicle without being penalized. www.bestlabsinc.com, 1.877.237.1541
CAMERA SYSTEM
The Determinator ignition interlock device analyzes blood alcohol
The WC900 offers a wireless handset and camera with a 2.4-inch true color touch screen display. The camera takes full cockpit pictures during every breath test and has data storage of over 30,000 images. Temperature and humidity sensors are used to determine human breath. Advanced multiple anti-circumvention tech-
AUTOMOTIVE ALCOHOL DETECTION SYSTEM
content and determines if a driver is within a legal limit to get behind the wheel. The system’s computer records all test and pertinent driving data. This information is downloadable and printable. Any attempt at tampering with the unit registers in this data log as well. http://www.stopdwi.com, 1.800.STOP.DWI
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BY G.F. GUERCIO, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
DRUG TESTING:
Probation & Parole Protocol + Products
HOW TO BEAT
DRUG TESTING
in probation and parole (P&P) requires the development of special policies and protocols note the authors of the report Drug Testing in a Drug Court Environment: Common Issues to Address published in 2000 by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP). “Even within the criminal justice environment, drug testing can be conducted for very different purposes: prosecution, supervision of a defendant’s compliance with a pretrial release or probation order, or, as is the case in drug courts, monitoring a participant’s progress in treatment and compliance with drug court program conditions,” note authors Jerome Robinson, director, and James Jones, deputy director, District of Columbia Pretrial Services Agency Drug Laboratory.
The protocols for drug testing by probation and parole are unique to each department, concurs Adam Comeau, executive vice president, ALCOLOCK USA. “The parameters for testing are set by their court or administrative agency for each individual probationer or parolee. Testing is then administered based on those parameters.” But probation and parole are similar in that both require conditions and supervision, says June Fields, account manager at OraSure Technologies who has worked as an officer in both juvenile and adult probation and adult parole. “However, although usually pronounced synonymously, they can be very different due to the nature of release from jail or prison, respectively. Drug testing protocols in P&P can be very similar but subject to certain rules based on the offense,
THE SYSTEM BEATERS
conditions imposed, adult or juvenile sanctioned, and level of supervision.” For example, she notes, an offender that has committed a misdemeanor offense may be subject to a less stringent drug testing program than an offender who commits a felony offense. “Drug testing is also performed at the P.O.'s discretion. An offender who commits a drug offense will almost always be subjected to drug/alcohol testing and/or substance abuse treatment.” Fields adds, “Urine drug testing has been used for decades and is often referred to as the ‘gold standard.’ Recently, newer drug testing technologies have emerged that offer a variety of choices based on the needs of those testing.” Of the newer testing technologies that have emerged, oral collection has found a foothold, according to
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Marion Varec, PR Manager, North America, Dräger, noting that drug detection in oral fluid provides a unique opportunity for the probation/parole officer to identify recent use. “Having a mobile device that can be used anywhere, anytime, without adulteration provides an opportunity to screen individuals on the spot and get results immediately.” She adds, “Standard lab drug testing protocol would be followed for positive screening results.” Michael Greene, spokesperson for American Screening, LLC, acknowledges that P.O.’s may test on or off site with urine or saliva tests, oftentimes for budget constraints. “On site offers huge monetary savings as only positive tests are sent in for confirmation.” And, as an answer to a new dilemma, “Saliva tests are being used for the transgender population in some California Drug Courts,” he confirms.
Always striving to keep up with these new dilemmas, ThermoScientific is creating webinars on drug testing, attests Kathy Ruzich, manager, Global Marketing Communications, Clinical Diagnostics/ Niche Products, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “We have a webinar that was published on our website directed to the drug court audience (http://www.thermoscientific.com/en /about-us/events/criminal-justicewebinars.html), and, there are plans to continue the webinar series in the next month or two.” Whether webinars, research, papers from the DOJ, OJP, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, its arm of the National Drug Court Institute, or the American Probation and Parole Association, a universal protocol prevails: variable testing. As all pursue best practices in protocol, the parameter is the common factor to the success of the drug program: to “beat the beater,” with random testing. Whether the testing is done onor off-site, by instant read or lab results, by the urine standard or one of the new technological methods,
the common thread is to keep it different to dissuade the offender from finding a way to invalidate the drug test. Meanwhile, the “standard” of urine testing improves its detection gamut with new immunoassays for more drugs, while recent technology and devices introduce the variations so not only breath and saliva, but sleep patterns, eye movements, skin and sweat are targets of testing. A sampling of products—standards to new technological drug/alcohol tests—are showcased and include information for more details.
SURFACE, SALIVA, SWEAT
ALCOLOCK USA is the exclusive distributor of DrugWipe drug testers in the United States. The DrugWipe range of drug screening devices provides a convenient, reliable means to detect common drugs of abuse, testing for invisible residue of drugs on surfaces, in saliva or in sweat. DrugWipe provides rapid test results providing an analysis in 3 to 8 minutes and it is easy to read with distinctive test lines visible in cases of drug use. When printed results
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ORAL FLUID SYSTEM
are required, the DrugRead electronic test reader is available to document the DrugWipe test results via wireless printer. www.alcolockusa.com, 1.888.937.9646, sales@alocolockusa.com
OraSure Technologies’ Intercept Oral Fluid Drug Testing System was the first FDA-cleared in-vitro diag-
PORTABLE BREATH TEST
The ALERT J4X portable breath alcohol tester from ALCOLOCK USA is a DOT-approved alcohol
print function. It utilizes an advanced electrochemical (fuel cell) sensor that offers both passive and active testing capabilities. In addition, the it provides results storage of up to 1,000 tests in memory. www.alcolockusa.com, 1.888.937.9646, sales@alocolockusa.com
SALIVA ALCOHOL TEST screening device utilizing a highquality electrochemical sensor (fuel cell) for police-grade accuracy. A single push button control enables power, testing, test recall and calibration modes. The ALERT J4X is easy-to-use and built to last. www.alcolockusa.com, 1.888.937.9646, sales@alocolockusa.com
BREATH SAMPLER W/PRINTER
The ALERT J5 breath alcohol tester is a DOT-approved alcoholscreening device that easily captures breath samples and prints test results with the optional wireless
OraSure offers the QED saliva alcohol test, a CLIA-waived and DOT approved on-site, rapid, low cost alternative to breath or blood testing. With a high correlation to blood alcohol levels, QED has a testing range of 0-145 mg/dL and provides quantitative results in minutes. www.chooseintercept.com, 1.800.orasure (672.7873) or 1.610.882.1820
nostic laboratory-based oral fluid drug testing system, and is the only one that is FDA cleared for detection of nine commonly-abused drugs. It combines the ease, efficiency, and cost savings of oral fluid collection with increased sample integrity and the accuracy of laboratory-based drug tests. www.chooseintercept.com, 1.800.orasure (672.7873) or 1.610.882.1820
ORAL DRUG TEST
The DrugTest 5000 from Draeger Safety Diagnostics, Inc. provides an alternative to the collection of urine or blood samples. Performed with
ease and with results provided within minutes, the Dräger DrugTest is a mobile system that uses oral fluid to
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test for seven types of the most commonly-abused drugs. This quick drug test provides a non-invasive alternative to sample collection. www.draeger.com/DrugTest, 1.972.929.1100, info.dsdi@draeger.com
RAPID URINE TEST
American Screening, LLC’s ETG rapid urine drug test offers a fast, easy, and accurate test for elevated levels of alcohol with up to 80-hour detection. Read results at 5 minutes, and the results are stable for 1 hour (500 ng/mL cut-off). Comparable to lab tests, and the product has a 24month shelf life from date of manufacture (25/case). www.americanscreeningcorp.com, 318.798.3306, sales@americanscreeningcorp.com
READ CUPS
The Reveal Mini 12-Panel Cup is a 120ml cup that is easy to use: just peel and read. The larger opening enables easier collection. Best Value: Free gloves and security seals, and lower shipping cost with more efficient design. Tests available for 5, 6, 10, and 12 drugs; they provide 99% accuracy. Package contents: 25 cups, 25 security seals, and 25 pair of gloves (for donor when providing specimen in cup). www.americanscreeningcorp.com, 318.798.3306, sales@americanscreeningcorp.com
HYDROCODONE/HYDRO MORPHONE ASSAY
The new Thermo Scientific DRI
Hydrocodone/Hydromorphone Assay is a homogeneous enzyme immunoassay that specifically detects hydrocodone and major metabolites in human urine at a 300 ng/mL cut-off. The assay utilizes liquid ready-to-use reagents, calibrators and controls, and can be run in qualitative and semi-quantitative modes. The assay has excellent cross-reactivity to the major metabolites hydromorphone and hydromorphone glucuronide. DRI Hydrocodone/Hydromorphone Assay demonstrates good correlation with LC-MS/MS and has excellent assay precision. It is a sensitive, specific and easy-to-use screening tool for hydrocodone and major metabolites in urine samples. www.thermoscientific.com/diagnostics, 1.800.556.2323
personalized baseline with measurements identifying impairment related to current and recent substance use. PassPoint has a 48-hour window of detection for the most commonly abused substances, and alcohol use is tested using a Lifeloc breathalyzer. The subject enters a unique identifier on the screen and validates fingerprint biometrically. A breath test is completed, then an eye scan in about 17 seconds. Results are downloaded onto a HIPPA compliant server, analyzed and printed/and or emailed to an officer/clinician. PassPoint is a complement to urine testing and eliminates approximately 90 percent of negative urinalysis. www.streetimetechnologies.com, 1.877.727.7764, info@streetimetechnologies.com
UNOBTRUSIVE TESTING
FENTANYL ASSAY
PassPoint.net measures involuntary eye reflex reactions to light. It collects key eye measurements and compares them to an individual’s
The Thermo Scientific DRI Fentanyl Assay is one of the newest immunoassay in the drugs of abuse test menu. Some of the unique fea-
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AD I N D E X
COMPANY
PAGE NO.
APPA ..................................23 CourtView..........................17 Draeger Medical Systems ..........................27 FTR Limited........................5 Infax .....................................2 Journal Technologies .......13 NCSC..................................33
tures of this assay include: Liquid ready to use, excellent precision, no cross reactivity to structurally-related compounds, excellent correlation to LC-MS/MS, no daily calibration required, 2 ng/mL qualitative cutoff, quality controls +50% and -50% of the cutoff, and applications available for various analyzers. www.thermoscientific.com/diagnostics, 1.800.556.2323
measure acceleration and gravity reaction forces, detecting both alcohol and drug use. The wearer’s frequency and intensity of movement are measured based on the research that abuse of alcohol and drugs disrupt sleep and increase/decrease movement during sleep/wake periods. The technology is secured with a tamperresistant/tamper-evident band. Legitimate medications are entered into the data system as part of the baseline reading. Uploads are done at the administering facility calling for a UA if warranted. www.streetimetechnologies.com, 1.877.727.7764, info@streetimetechnologies.com
DRUG TESTING SYSTEM
The Siemens Viva-E System provides a menu of gold standard EMIT assays for fast analysis
ALCOHOL AND DRUG DETECTION
The SleepTime Technologies device, worn like a wristwatch, is a precision accelerometer used to
StunCuff Enterprises, Inc................4 Thermo Fisher Scientific .........................31 Thomson Reuters.............36 Tyler Technologies ...........35 Xerox....................................9 This advertisers index is provided as a service to our readers only. The publisher does not assume liability for errors or omissions.
of drugs of abuse, therapeutic drugs and immunosuppressants, as well as sample validity testing on a single bench top analyzer. It is designed for low- to mid-volume labs, treatment centers, transplant management centers, criminal justice facilities, and industrial facilities. The userfriendly interface is based on Windows software and requires little maintenance. www.healthcare.siemens.com or 1.888.826.9702
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