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August/September 2014
Vol. 12 No. 4
Update on Ignition Interlock Device Sanctions Pretrial, Probation & Parole Supervision Tools
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
Courts Today 69 Lyme Road, Hanover, NH 03755
COURTHOUSE NAVIGATION SYSTEMS
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with alternative & diversion programs
Publisher & Executive Editor Thomas S. Kapinos Assistant Publisher Jennifer Kapinos
A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 014
Editor Donna Rogers
VOLU M E 12 N U M B E R 4
Contributing Editors Michael Grohs, Bill Schiffner G.F. Guercio, Kelly Mason
F EATU R E S
Art Director Jamie Stroud
4 American Probation and Parole Associations’ Training Institute & Resource Expo Review
12 Selecting Pretrial, Probation & Parole Supervision Tools
18 Courthouse Navigation Systems 24 Ignition Interlock Devices: An Update on Sanctions
30 The Latest in Drug Test Monitoring
DE PARTM E NTS
34 Ad Index
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On the cover: image courtesy of Infax, Inc.
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Marketing Representatives Bonnie Dodson (828) 479-7472 Ben Skidmore (972) 587-9064 Art Sylvie (480) 816-3448 Kristie Thymes (972) 782-9841 Peggy Virgadamo (718) 456-7329
with alternative & diversion programs
is published bi-monthly by: Criminal Justice Media, Inc PO Box 213 Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 310.374.2700 Send address changes to: COURTS TODAY 69 Lyme Road Hanover, NH 03755 or fax (603) 643-6551 To receive a FREE subscription to COURTS TODAY submit, on court letterhead, your request with qualifying title; date, sign and mail to COURTS TODAY 69 Lyme Road Hanover, NH 03755 or you may fax your subscription request to (603) 643-6551 Subscriptions: Annual subscriptions for non-qualified personnel, United States only, is $60.00. Single copy or back issues-$10.00 All Canada and Foreign subscriptions are $90.00 per year. Printed in the United States of America, Copyright © 2014 Criminal Justice Media, Inc.
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Image courtes
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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
The American Probation and Parole Association’s 39th Annual Training Institute at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans drew over 1,000 attendees.
he American Probation and Parole Association’s (APPA) 39th Annual Training Institute held August 3-6 at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans drew over 1,000 attendees from the community corrections, criminal justice and substance treatment professions in the United States as well as agencies in Canada, Poland and New Zealand. The underlying goal of this meeting was to provide participants with workshop opportunities that emphasize skill-building, increase relevant competencies and enhance
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overall career development. This year’s conference offered a host of educational workshops, intensive training programs, special sessions and new products that were designed exclusively for the parole and probation market. They included new software applications, drug testing technologies, offender monitoring systems, training and curriculum development, substance abuse and behavioral health programs. “APPA’s Resource Expo is one of the better run mid-size expositions I have been involved with over my
thirty-year career,” commented Eric Tumperi, CEO of CorrectTech, a community corrections case management software platform. “Their implementation of the Corporate Village continues to create an intimate and vibrant social space in the midst of the exhibit hall for the attendees to congregate and increase exposure for the entire exhibitor population,” continued Tumperi, founder and former CEO of AnyTrax, a long-time corporate partner with APPA. “I think one of the factors that has led to their being
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leaders with their Resource Expo is the corporate relations meetings they have during APPA’s annual meetings that have elicited a number of excellent ideas and best practices, that in turn have been implemented by the APPA staff.” “New technology in drugs of abuse testing was a hot topic this year,” according to Casey Michalik, VP sales & marketing at Premier Biotech, Inc. in Excelsior, Minn. He says that innovative products such as Premier Biotech's Rapid EtG “will save state and local government money, while improving monitoring and treatment of individuals.” Joe Russo, chair-APPA Technology Committee, added the Resource Expo also provided attendees with an opportunity to check out the latest technological innovations available to the field of community corrections. “Emerging product trends on display included portable breath alcohol detection systems, tools that provide automated analyses of offender location data and applications that feed live case information to a field officer’s mobile devices,” he reported. Here’s a look at some of the products and services that were creating a buzz in the exhibit hall:
APPA Resources Tracking Platforms SuperCom has created a comprehensive corrections tracking platform, delivering cutting edge hardware and software solutions. PureTrack leverages Smartphone technology to provide the ultimate GPS enrollee tracking platform. PureCom RF Base Station brings new features and functionality to RF programs. PureTag is a highly secure compact RF bracelet that operates across the complete spectrum of the PureSecurity Corrections Tracking Suite. PureMonitor is designed to get users the information they need. Quickly navigate through the intuitive interface to set schedules, generate reports, review tracking and run programs efficiently and effectively. www.supercom.com, 212.675.4606
Mobile Handheld Breathalyzer Today’s mobile world requires mobile solutions. SoberLink is the innovator of a truly mobile handheld alcohol monitoring solution. The SL2 is a patented, discreet cellular device that transmits breath alcohol tests directly from the SL2 Breathalyzer to SoberLink’s monitoring website. The SL2 has a proven track record in criminal justice and addiction treatment with a presence in all 50 states and Canada. www.soberlink.net, 714.975.7200
Alcohol Testing Kit OraSure Technologies showcased the TruTouch 2500, an alcohol deterrent solution. This product is a great fit for criminal justice agencies in that it allows for more frequent alcohol testing, thereby deterring clients from using alcohol. It is a noninvasive, self-administered testAugust/September 2014 6
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this technology a phenomenal GPS tracking device but also serves as a “real-time” two-way communication device at the same time. www.corrisoft.com, 1.859.271.1190
Lateral Flow Test Premier Biotech’s new Rapid
ing method that delivers accurate results in as little as 15 seconds and simultaneously verifies user identification. The TruTouch 2500 sobriety assurance system uses safe, near infra-red (NIR) light to measure alcohol intoxication and provide biometric identification without breath or bodily fluids, disposables or consumables. www.orasure.com, 1.800.869.3538
Alternatives to Incarceration Corrisoft’s AIR platform is a smarter, safer and more effective system for probation and parole, the
Next Generation GIS Mapping Marquis Software’s OMIS Community Supervision solution that has a new real-time GIS mapping capabilities wrapped into their case management and inmate management tools. A new GIS project in the Arkansas Department of Correction (ADC) and the Arkansas Community Correction (ACC) using
(Instant/Onsite/POCT) EtG Test yields accurate, reliable results. This revolutionary rapid EtG test is a lateral flow, urine dip cassette that yields accurate, reliable results in as little as 1 minute. Offers a shelf life of 2 years from date of manufacture and positive results are stable for 2 hours. www.premierbiotech.com, 1.888.686.9909
this software is changing that paradigm by leveraging existing information to produce real time GIS mapping, layers and analysis that tracks community supervised offenders for the ACC and provides inmate data and analysis tools in the ADC. www.marquisware.com, 1.850.877.8864
Software and Support Services
Probation Case Management System
CorrectTech offered integrated software and support services for residential, treatment, reentry and probation programs. Their Program Foundation Platform and 12 modules were designed by community corrections professionals to guide organizations toward a powerful EBP implementation, relieve them of strenuous paperwork and manual
company says. With the AIR Dashboard at its core, it is the only fully-integrated, web-based platform that safely monitors participants with cutting-edge GPS and cell technologies while giving participants all the tools and resources they need to truly turn their lives around. Not only is
processes, and enable them to focus on what matters–people. www.correcttech.com, 1.303.586.6551
The L.A. County Probation Department awarded Capita the project to design, develop and implement the next generation Enterprise Probation Case Management System. With intricate requirements, scalability challenges, and elaborate interfaces, Capita has the ability to handle a probation project of unsurpassed scale, the company says. The system allows the Juvenile Bureaus to annually conduct approximately 21,000 investigations and supervise about 20,000 juvenile probationers, resulting in approximately 90,500 juvenile court reports. www.capitacase.com, 1.949.260.3000
Multi-media Mini-Tablet JPay showcased the correctionsapproved JP4 touch screen minitablet with 8GB of memory. The
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make better informed decisions regarding strategies for supervising the inmate population; evaluating the impact of policy decisions on future jail populations and, determining which populations to prioritize for internal programming needs based on available programming capacity in the facility. www.northpointeinc.com, 1.888.221.4615 device ships preloaded with several apps, including a music player, an email application, an FM tuner, and two puzzle games. At $49.99, the JP4 is an affordable way to support loved ones at participating facilities. www.jpay.com, 1.800.574.5729
Parole Case Management System CaseloadPRO launched their revolutionary web-based Parole Case Management System in the Kern County Sheriffs Department, Bakersfield, Calif. This full-featured software is designed to collect and organize all the data that is required by the Parole department and allow effective management of current and future parolees. The software utilizes the very latest technology and features exceptional functionality with affordability. CaseloadPro’s advances with automated voice recognition call in software allowed the agency to streamline their parole programs. www.caseloadpro.com, 1.800.686.1134
Software Tools Northpointe introduced two new software tools called Jail Population Modeling (JPM) and Program
E-Learning Solutions Relias Learning provides a host of online training solutions for correctional facilities. The product of a merger between Silverchair Learning, Essential Learning, and Care2Learn, Relias Learning delivers breadth and depth of content. Distinct libraries are designed for adult corrections, law enforcement, juvenile services, and community corrections. Training is approved by many of the corrections organizations such as ACA, AJA and APPA. www.reliaslearning.com, 1.877.200.0020
Offender Software Fieldware offered OffenderLink Supervision Management System as a collection of fully hosted modules to assist community corrections and court agencies in the supervision of criminal justice clients. As agency partners move toward implementation of supervision strategies like Evidence-Based Practice (EBP), OffenderLink provides the tools necessary to enable agency staff to more efficiently manage growing caseloads with greater ease and even greater accountability and compliance. www.fieldware.com, 1.312.258.1000
Filing Cabinet Software Capacity Modeling (PCM). Both tools help corrections administrators
This lets offices organize the files in their Filing Cabinet the way that makes it most customized. Once a file is selected, users can use the Preview tab to see a preview of the image or document without having to open the file. This saves valuable
New Dawn’s JustWare Filing Cabinet software was designed to help users find their files faster. Users can utilize folders to organize files, nesting folders within folders.
time by allowing them to identify the correct document quickly before opening it. newdawn.com, 1.877.587.8927
Offender Tracking Service CellTrax is a flexible, unobtrusive, and inexpensive service to detect and report offender location. CellTrax determines the location of an offender using their own cellphone; with voiceprint verified check-ins to confirm that the cellphone is with the offender. AnyTrax customers use CellTrax as an alternative to GPS bracelets because it is both less expensive and easier to use. CellTrax uses text messages to communicate with the offender. When an offender approaches an exclusion zone, CellTrax can deliver a text message warning to the offender to avoid an incursion. www.anytrax.com, 1.800.359.4208
Alcohol Breath Testing Intoximeters had on hand a full line of U.S.-made alcohol breath testing instruments in both the evidential and preliminary breath testing markets. A global leader in breath alcohol testing, the company reports it also offers comprehensive support through training in the operation and maintenance of their instruments and software. www.intox.com, 1.314.429.4000
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BY DONNA ROGERS, EDITOR
THOUGH the U.S. has the highest incarceration rate in the free world, there has been a silver lining. Over the past few years, the trend is for probationers and parolees not to reoffend. According to the latest statistics from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 68% of probationers completed their term of supervision or were discharged early during 2012, up from 66% in 2011, and 58% of
parolees completed their term of supervision or were discharged early in 2012, up from 52% in 2011. Further good news: The reincarceration rate among parolees at risk for violating their conditions of supervision continued to decline, dropping to 9% during 2012 from about 12% in 2011. The report Probation and Parole in the United States, 2012 furthers that, during 2012, the overall number of
adults under community supervision declined by about 40,500 during 2012, down to 4,781,300 offenders at yearend 2012 (decreasing 0.75%). However, with the trend away from prison and jail time, courts are shifting their punishment, and in some locales prison and jail populations are falling and community treatment is rising. California is a prime example. From 2010 to 2011, the number of persons entering pro-
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bation in California increased 1.5% and from 2011 to 2012 it increased about 7%. Thus, despite efforts to release offenders back into society—and reduce budgets—there remained nearly 4.8 million adults at yearend 2012 on come sort of community supervision. Supervision of offenders in the community requires a balancing act that cannot be too closely watched. Providing the right amount of oversight with the right amount of freedom can be a challenge fraught with risk. Using electronic means to supervise offender caseloads can mean making decisions with better scientific data, fewer errors and better outcomes for case managers with big caseloads and dwindling budgets. The following are some of the leading tools on the market that help those managing pretrial, probation, and parole cases.
Data Entry Only Once
While some justice systems have a different computer system for each step of the process—court management, jail and parole, for instance— Odyssey from Tyler Technologies is a “party-based system, meaning the data is entered once and no matter where the individual is a single entity is maintained throughout the justice system,” says Bob Kolysher, product owner. The parole officer doesn’t have to go to the jail and fax a stack of papers. “The end-to-end integration saves time and eliminates errors.” Another example of streamlining the workflow comes within the pretrial module, says Kolysher. The pretrial officer can view the case in the workflow queue, identify the work he/she needs to do, view the initial assessments and enter the recommendations online and then direct the case to staff that will han-
dle the next step. “It’s a beautiful flow of electronic information,” he says, it connects all the proper staff as the case moves forward. Often staff work in separate offices to do the jail assessment and the paperwork had to be moved from building to building. With use of the caseload management system all that is eliminated, he notes. Sixty to 120 people are supervised in a typical caseload, explains Kevin Griffin, senior vice president, connectrex corp. They all have to follow specific—and different—conditions. For that reason, he says, a standard contact management system or a CRM (customer relationship management) system is not well-suited. On the other hand, the case management system developed by connectrex is a “core supervision” tool, not directed at the court or the DA, but a tool aimed at probation, parole, pretrial and treatment officers. Monitor, as it’s called, keeps track of appointments, meeting requirements, officer alerts, treatment resources, arrest alerts, apology letters—information that can pose a key supervision challenge if missing. It also has validated assessment tools built in the application. In fact the company served San Mateo County in this capacity from 1984 to 2000, tracking offenders on a day-to-day basis, starting the first treatment court and reducing failure to appear rates, according to Griffin. Overall through this system, “1.5 million offender clients have been supervised.” While most on the supervision continuum are using some sort of electronic contact management system even if it's home grown, or off the shelf like Excel, he says, “they are slowly realizing the need to move up to more robust system.“ The advantage to using systems meant to target supervision is that they adapt to meet the latest trends in the industry, e.g., tech notifications like text reminder messages to
probationers or parolees, that others just may not incorporate. While the Monitor CMS provides the cost benefit of working “out of the box,” it also provides “gap analysis” by connectrex consultants to customize the system to meet the users need within the application, Griffin notes.
Evidence-based decision making
Another program JWorks by CourtView can seamlessly integrate evidence-based practice (EBP) and risk-need-responsivity (RNR) tools with its case management solutions, including the COMPAS risk/needs assessment and monitoring solution, used by courts and corrections throughout the United States. In addition, whether gathering information during pre-sentence investigation (PSI), or as a snapshot of family, substance abuse, housing, employment, criminal activity, or other history for sentencing and supervision, the Northpointe Suite solutions used with JWorks provides a scientifically proven foundation for assessing and tracking offender risks and needs—and the appropriate course of action—for evidencebased decision making. While there are hurdles to overcome in having practitioners use evidence based tools for their assessments, says Sue Humphreys, director of industry solutions with CourtView Justice Solutions, “we are seeing a fair amount of specialty courts looking for a solution to determine the eligibility part of program.” Pretrial officers must analyze risk, including offender behaviors and responses to determine if they will respond to specialty court community treatment. Using assessment tools can help because they are a scientific, tried and true methodology based on decades of research, she says. “Our observation is there is very little of that; [however] they are starting to tune into it—and the movement of August/September 2014x
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specialty courts is helping to drive it,” she says. “They have state or local requirements have to make pretty informed decision to choose who will go into that program.” Risk assessment tools are objective. It lessens that discretion, courts might tend to balk at, she says. “The thinking that ‘I’m a judge and would like to use discretion,’ and of course they can,” she’s quick to point out. These are “not to replace professional judgment but to render the best possible data, to have the scientific backing.” Caseload Explorer from Automon, LLC is also a comprehensive case management system. It is specific to probation, pretrial (a hot topic of late), and some overlap into parole, says Scot Asher, vice president, Sales & Business
Development. This “offender-centric” software tracks any piece of data, demographic information like associates, parents’ associates, where they work, and other critical data, gathering it from integration from the court system. “It's a balance of who they are, and at end of day how do we best supervise them?” he continues. It works with add-on tools like CE Assessments and CE Analytics that are tightly integrated in the cloud, Asher notes. In September, the mobile-based app will be released in seven pilot counties. The officer can have entire app at his fingertips—pictures, pertinent addresses, Google maps, an alternate address, multiple phones, any warnings, alerts, etc. It will also have built-in assessments, of which their
Company: Automon, LLC Product Name: Caseload Explorer, and the Ce Suite Partial Client List: 115 active customers in 22 states, including, 18 counties in Calif. (deployed or in the process of implementation, including San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and San Joaquin) 51 of 54 counties in New York (deployed or in the process of implementation, including New York City, Westchester, Nassau, Orange and Suffolk) Mississippi DOC
library contains 23. Working in it, the officer will be able to enter information, take a picture and it can all be sent back to the CMS. Mobile functionality is huge, says Asher. A lot is driven by officer safety. But pushing that much data and bringing so much functionality to the field can be incredibly expensive, he adds. To overcome that “our philosophy is to keep it as simple as possible—allowing officers to use iOS or android-based tablets or smartphones, and to create cloudbased applications that can run on their own.” Data that is populating their screens has full integration from Caseload Explorer, and any notes in case notes is written back to CE. It allows the field officer record caseload notes in the field and synch it back.
Caseload Explorer provides full document storage capabilities (from documents or photos to audio and video files), document templates deeply integrated with Microsoft Word, electronic signature, warnings and alerts, compliance tracking, State and National Reporting and Ad Hoc statistical reporting. Additionally, Caseload Explorer provides a full Financial Accounting system, allowing agencies to track financial obligations such as fines, fees, restitution, joint and several, etc. Caseload Explorer can be deployed either on premise or fully hosted by AutoMon. In addition, the Ce Suite of SaaS-based solutions includes Ce
Caseload Explorer is a comprehensive Probationer-centric case management system that provides Probation, Parole and Pretrial agencies complete information on juvenile and adult probationers, caseloads, institutions, schedules, staff resources, compliance, financial obligations, documents, and more. Officers have the ability to easily track offender interview/contact locations, supervision plans, drug court and mental health screening provisions, criminal histories, court dates and general reminders. Automon Ce Analytics provides a caseload weighting comparison of offenders. August/September 2014 14
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Assessments and Ce Drug Testing which allows not only automating offender assessments or drug test results, but provides analysis tools; Ce Check-In and Ce Kiosk provide tools to automate and simplify the supervision of low risk offenders; and Ce Field provides officers mobile data pulled from Caseload Explorer.
Company: connectrex corp. Product Name: Monitor Partial Client List: Philadelphia Adult Probation and Parole Broward County Sherriff’s Department Hennepin County Juvenile State of Wyoming DOC Software Highlights: Monitor CMS is 100% web based and developed with tools based from the Microsoft development toolset. With over 1.5 million
Connectrex CMS dashboard shows an overview of offender conditions indicating due and overdue conditions.
offenders, defendants, and clients supervised, Monitor is most chosen by agencies that want to focus on their core supervision and public safety mission—and it is utilized by some of the largest probation and sheriffs
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departments in the United States. It provides three main tools that supervision officers look for: • The ability to manage their caseloads and focus on the most urgent and important tasks, • Easily document and memorialize meetings and contacts, and • Track the numerous conditions they are required to hold their offenders, defendants, and clients accountable for. Finally, it enables officers to efficiently manage their caseloads and allows administrators to make important decision driven by data and evidence based practices. Officers can go from their general caseload to the specifics about an offender in just three clicks and are alerted instantly when an offender falls off task.
Company: CourtView Justice Solutions Product Name: JWorks CMS including Northpointe Software Suite (risk/need assessment (RNA) instrument) Partial Client List: Implemented in more than 550 justice agencies nationwide, including: The Commonwealth of Mass. Nevada AOC Alaska AOC Washington DC Superior Court California DCR Software Highlights: CourtView’s intelligent JWorks CMS includes a validated fourthgeneration risk/need assessment (RNA) instrument powered by the popular and proven Northpointe Software Suite. Focused on predictors known to affect recidivism, this tool includes dynamic risk factors in its prediction of recidivism and provides information on a variety of well-validated risks and needs to aid in supervision and treatment
JWorks caseflow management screen provides the ability to drill in on how the offender is complying with a number of release conditions.
and decrease the likelihood that offenders will re-offend. The integrated JWorks/Northpointe solution provides a person-centric information management platform that automates every step—from identifying offenders’ eligibility for court services (pretrial, probation, specialty programs, etc.) to dynamic caseflow management and tracking of all obligations, activities, and outcomes through final disposition or graduation. The system is uniquely designed for decisionsupport to aid supervision personnel, case managers, program coordinators, judicial officers, and all other decision-makers in assessing risk/need factors, formulating case plans, and using evidence-based practice (EBP) and risk/need/ responsivity (RNR) in sentencing and supervision design. Major benefits of CourtView’s JWorks/Northpointe solution are its dynamic caseflow management (DCM) engine, easily configured for an agency’s specific business and process rules, and its ability to con-
nect clerk, court, and supervision records while maintaining separation and security as appropriate. The JWorks and Northpointe Suite software can be implemented as stand-alone systems or as a seamless solution.
Company: Tyler Tech Product Name: Odyssey Partial Client List: More than 600 counties, including, Fulton County (Atlanta, Ga.) El Paso County, Texas Software Highlights: the Odyssey system provides end-toend integration—from e-filing, through court case management and prosecutor/defender case management, and all of the business processes related to Pretrial release, Jail and Supervision. It provides justice partners with an efficient way to automatically share party information electronically from the beginning of the judicial process (case initiation) through
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The Odyssey system provides end-toend integration—from e-filing, through court case management and prosecutor/defender case management.
the pretrial process, case disposition, and sentence outcomes. It thus saves time by eliminating redundant data capture and
reduces associated errors because much of the data was previously captured. The Pretrial module handles
the pretrial interview, corresponding assessment and decision tracking online, and generates all documents and reports in electronic format, with an option to print hard copy. Odyssey’s Supervision feature includes capabilities to manage officer caseloads electronicallyincluding initial assignment and reassignment, carry out risk/needs assessments and complete specialized questionnaires online, identify release conditions and monitor compliance, track financial obligations, record program and service involvement and capture case notes, as needed.
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Navigation Nation
BY DONNA ROGERS, EDITOR
courtesy of Infax, Inc.
Digital signage and interactive mapping are changing how courthouses are navigated.
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nowing exactly where one is at any given moment has become somewhat of a craze. As one walks down the street Google Maps can track your every move— from getting you cross country or cross county to finding you the closest place to enjoy a latte. Nearly everyone has a navigation system in his or her car in some form or another. And, if a GPS device isn’t enough… Garmin USA offers a
mobile app for $50 for your iphone, Waze Inc. offers the Waze Social GPS Maps & Traffic app whereby drivers in your area can share local traffic info, and for $.99 per month, the MotionX-GPS Drive app gives directions just like a GPS yet with maps that are always up-to-date. We live in a navigation nation, where we can pinpoint our location by latitude and longitude even if we find ourselves in the remotest corner of the world, as this writer did several years back while lost on a Navajo
Indian reservation in Arizona. It comes as no surprise then that we want to be in control in the courthouse, a place traditionally stressful and often labyrinth-like—and some newer technologies are keeping patrons in the know. While its Docket Call digital docket display is its largest product offering, the company Infax, Incorporated has been getting a lot of requests for wayfinding kiosks, both from new RFPs and existing clients whom already have digital signage but want
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AdGators Docket Vision digital docket pages can be easily customized.
to implement interactive wayfinding kiosks, says Cecily Waters, director, Judicial Marketing. Especially with larger courthouses that are being
designed and built, “Interactive maps are not an afterthought; they want to find the best place [when designing] and really integrate them.”
In fact, interactive displays are the company’s second biggest selling item. But as for which is more prevalent—wall mounted displays or floor-
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standing kiosks—it’s a toss-up and really depends on the court, Waters comments. Some like the stability of a floor-mounted kiosk, she details, while others like the clean, nice-looking monitor on the wall—it is an individual court preference and totally custom built for the customer through discussions with Infax. What is the norm for digital signage these days, we asked Waters. She noted multi-floor facilities or a large campus often have a large com-
with high definition LCD/LED electronic displays. Docket Vision was developed by AdGators, a full service digital signage company, which has traditionally focused on indoor advertising space and digital menu boards. Of late however, they have harnessed their 23 years government experience and begun serving courts. Docket Vision is an open source (OS), cloud-based (SaaS) digital signage solution that allows courthouses and justice centers the ability to display dockets or calendars and wayfinding to visitors electronically. Not only can it integrate the docket info, it can integrate data such as meeting schedules, public notices, presentations, policies, alerts, and maps. It can also incorporate weather forecasts, RSS feeds such as news headlines, and social media. So far, Docket Vision is being used by several courts in Illinois and California. In its next phase, AdGators “is focused on the next generation [of technology
capability to provide touch screen displays and custom develop solutions that are designed for tablets and a stand or shelf bracket vs. large-standing more costly kiosks. “We are trying to go to a smaller footprint, keeping it clean with a nice, simple interface.” Budd explains that AdGators “designs, builds and configures our own custom media player, called ScreenSeed, with our own hard drive, graphics card and memory,” to stand up to the rigors of courthouse use.
“We are not loading servers on racks, thus keeping costs down.” —Josh Budd mercial grade screen of 55 inches or more—and they’ve had requests for 65- or 70-inch—with the capability for the patron to click on the electronic directory, expanding it to 3D mapping. These can provide step-bystep directions that can be printed, emailed, or sent by SMS to the patron’s phone. Another solution for digital courthouse signage, Docket Vision, quickly informs visitors of docket information
users],” says Josh Budd, president and CEO. “We find visitor engagement is completely different than it was even two years ago.” He describes that consumers are becoming very familiar with digital signage as the means of communication and familiar with tablets, sliding and expanding information on the screen versus traditional stand-alone PCs. With that in mind the company also has the
An Infax check-in kiosk.
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Floor map screen designed by Infax for a kiosk display.
Because this system is cloud-based, other than the media player, it is not hardware dependent. “We are not loading servers on racks, thus keeping costs down,” he explains. Docket Vision’s OS solution allows for flexible integration with various courthouse or justice centers’ case management systems. In not all cases, he points out, does the CMS need to integrate. We are integrated with several partners, however, “At times we can just extract the data, clean up the file and display it according to the courts’ request.” At one time it looked like mapping apps sent to a mobile device in the courthouse were the way to go, and users could scan a QR code or get an app to display a map directly on their mobile device. But with use of mobile devices becoming more prohibitive in courthouses, both Budd
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“Interactive maps are not an afterthought; [courts] want to find the best place [when designing] and really integrate them.”
—Cecily Waters
and Infax’s Waters say that is not the direction courts are going. But many courts are thinking of incorporating digital data for their visitors on large displays, kiosks and tablets. And electronic data display has been growing and evolving. It allows administrators to globally change dockets, not requiring staff to run around the courthouse changing postings on paper. It also permits patrons to see listings with a quick scan on a large screen rather than lining up to flip through paper postings, saving valuable court time.
More features & functionality
An Infax wayfinding solution.
Over the past 15 years, Infax has evolved the CourtSight Suite, a comprehensive digital signage solution for justice facilities. In addition to DocketCall and the infoKiosk, it also offers a check-in kiosk, which may be used with JuryCall software to automate the juror selection and check-in process. Court users can deploy Composer and Engage, a dual program that allows the user to create their own directional signage, personalized messages, digital directories and advertisements and display it on courthouse monitors. In addition, the company offers website design and production, to create web content to display on a facility’s monitors. What direction is next we’re not sure. But surely mapping and digital signage will continue to be firmly on the map for courthouses in years to come. Our “navigation nation” shows no signs of letting up.
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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
THE MOST SOBERING FACT about drunk driving is the numbers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), alcohol related accidents claimed 10,322 lives in 2012, an increase of 4.6% from the previous year. The majority of those drivers had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .15 or higher. In 2010, 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence or alcohol or narcotics. According to the CDC, that is only about 1% of the self-reported 112 million incidents of adults driving under the influence. To put some scale to that figure, the population of Mexico is about 108 million. There are numerous sanctions in place to prevent people from driving under the influence: license suspension, vehicle impoundment, and staggered sentencing are all used as a method to prevent another occurrence. None, though, seem more
effective than the use of interlock ignition devices (IIDs). When installed, research from the NHTSA has found that IIDs have been associated with as much as a 70% reduction in DUI arrests. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, all states have some sort of IID laws. Fifteen (Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and Washington) now have mandatory provisions for all offenses. Connecticut, whose measure passed unanimously in May, 2014 closed a loophole that will now require thousands of offenders to use the devices. The loophole was one that allowed firsttime offenders to attend an alcohol education program and have his or her license suspended for a period ranging from three months to a
year. After successful completion, the offender’s legal record could be wiped clean. In 2005, New Mexico started requiring IIDs for all first-time offenders. As a result, the use of the devices leapt from 162 in 2002 to nearly 12,000 in 2010. Studies showed that those who had an IID installed were 77% less likely to be arrested for driving under the influence than those who don’t. The state also realized a 37% reduction in DUI re-arrests. During that time period, alcohol-related crashes declined by 31%, injuries from alcohol-related crashes decreased by 41%, and DUI fatalities dropped by 38%. In 2006, Massachusetts implemented Melanie’s Law, a provision that increases penalties and sanctions for those convicted of operating under the influence (OUI). One of the stipulations of the law is that any driver who gets a second or
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subsequent OUI and is eligible for license reinstatement (the driver must prove that he or she does not have access to public transportation), he or she will be required to install an IID to any vehicle owned, leased, or operated by the driver, including an employer’s vehicle, for a period of two years. According to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, on the third anniversary after implementation, police had been making more DUI arrests (about 20% more), but far fewer were for repeat offenses. Nearly 4,400 drivers who received a second or higher conviction of OUI enrolled in the Registry’s IID program. Of those, 553 completed the program, and only two of them had been arrested again. At that time, the data found that 117 failed out, 217 withdrew voluntarily, and 3,797 remained in the program.
Complications & limitations The solution might sound obvious, but the situation is not cut and dry. There is the matter of the judicial system, for one. In New Mexico, for example, approximately onethird of those arrested for DUI are not convicted. There is also the matter of a driver claiming that he or she does not have a vehicle in order to avoid having a device installed. There are also those who intend to drive but say that they won’t. States are taking measures to address some of these concerns. Texas, for example, has a program that requires certain offenders to have an IID installed before posting bail. One of the most limiting aspects of IID use, as discussed in a systematic review of the literature titled “Effectiveness of Ignition Interlocks for Preventing Alcohol-Impaired Driving and Alcohol Related Crashes” published by the Task Force on Community Preventive
Services in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, is the relatively small number of people who participate in a program. After getting a DUI, people generally have three options: choosing not to drive, enrolling in an IID program, or driving illegally. Many drivers (contrary to expectations) prefer the latter thinking that statistics might provide the protection from being caught. Efforts continue to develop programs that lessen the options for avoiding IID use. One study mentioned in the review suggested that more severe sanctions should be put in place. For example, one study found that if confronted with the option that electronically monitored house arrest was offered as an alternative to installing an IID, approximately two-thirds of offenders would opt for the IID. Another limiting factor the review found was that many states only require the program for multiple-time offenders. States that have mandates requiring all first-time offenders to have an IID installed on the driver’s car have seen drastic declines in drunk driving. In 2009 there were 161,074 DUI convictions in California. Of those, 73% were first-time offenders and 27% percent were repeat offenders. That may sound as if the first time offenders simply made a mistake, but data from the CDC found that a first-time offender had driven under the influence more than 80 times before being caught. There is also the matter that a sanction tends to work better when used in conjunction with another. The Task Force stated in their review that data suggest that offenders who had an IID installed on their vehicle were at far greater risk of recidivism, but simply being enrolled in a program does not tend to lead to longterm changes in the behavior of drinking and driving. When IIDs are
removed, the recidivism rate tends to return to what it had been before installation.
Swedish Interlock Trials Sweden, a nation of 9 million, of which two-thirds have a driver’s license, has very strict sanctions and limits compared to many other industrialized countries. In the mid'90s, the Swedish Parliament adopted Vision Zero with the long-term goal of eliminating traffic deaths all together. A national trial used IIDs in an effort to improve the quality and reduce the hazards of commercial driving by taking preventive measures. The trial involved a taxi company, a bus company, and a trucking company. The trial grew, and several smaller ones emerged throughout the country. As of 2011, the number of IIDs used in Swedish commercial vehicles has grown to 55,000. The Swedish Interlock Trial for offenders started in 1999 with a deadline of December 2010. Between 4,000 and 5,000 people participated, and more than half (55%) were diagnosed with either abuse or dependency. While Sweden offers offenders the option to be in enrolled in an IID program, it is under the provision that they have a medical assessment to monitor for alcohol abuse. (The offender must show that he or she has been sober for a year.) Other results, as reported in another article in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, were lowered recidivism, reduced accidents and hospital visits, fewer sick days paid by the National Health, and reduced harmful alcohol consumption that was confirmed by audit and blood tests. Another evaluation of a Swedish IID program that included an intensive treatment component found that the 171 participants had no incidents of recidivism as opposed
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to the nearly 5% per year among those who did not participate. The Swedish government has considered making IIDs mandatory on all cars, an idea endorsed by both Saab and Volvo. Sweden is not the only advocate for treatment being used in conjunction with an IID program. The Century Council, which is funded by distillers, believes that IID programs must include a treatment component while the device is installed to allow for the chance of behavioral changes. A publication by the NHTSA also suggests that there should be a greater tie between IID and treatment programs. In December 2013, the NHTSA released Model Guideline for State Ignition Interlock Programs, which emphasizes several key program features to maximize effectiveness.
These features include legislation, education, program administration, and implementation. One element the guideline suggests is for states to implement an agency with “clear authority and responsibility” for managing the IID program. These responsibilities include establishing the administrative procedures and the program’s regulations as well as maintaining oversight of the manufacturers and IID service centers. States should also eliminate—or at least minimize—the eligibility requirements that might prevent an offender from participating in the program as well as eliminate options for offenders to avoid from participating and establish the amount of time for which the device must be used. In light of the statistics found from the New Mexico study and
other states that require the sanction, the guideline suggests that states should also mandate that all offenders convicted of alcohol impaired driving be required to install an IID, a suggestion also supported by the CDC.
Products and Providers Ignition Interlock Devices
Intoxalock has been a leading manufacturer of ignition interlock devices for more than 20 years. Intoxalock Legacy utilizes fuel-cell technology that ensures the highest level of accuracy and precision. Intoxalock Legacy Plus takes that technology and incorporates a high resolution camera to meet local and state requirements. Intoxalock
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eLERT combines real-time reporting and photo technology to meet the most rigorous local and state requirements. www.intoxalock.com | 1.888.283.5899
Home Alcohol Monitoring
Intoxalock Home eLERT offers the reliability, accuracy and advanced features of the company’s ignition interlock devices, but in a portable and discrete home model. Home eLERT offers photo imaging, GPS and real-time reporting that can help individuals test and verify their sobriety conveniently. www.intoxalock.com | 1.888.283.5899
Tamper Prevention
The SSI-20/30 is the latest in ignition interlock technology from Smart Start, Inc. A more discrete device, it is designed to work with the company’s patented Photo ID module and records a picture of the user at the time of each breath test so Smart Start can see who takes each test and prevents the user from tampering with the camera. After each breath test, the photo is stored along with the date,
time and location of each test to sync with the SSI-20/30 information log. This interlock will effectively abort the test and prevent the user from starting their car if any tempering is detected from the device or the camera. It also goes a step further to provide GPS information to monitoring authorities. To make it easier for the user, the SSI-20/30™ does not have a hum feature, meaning users only have to blow into the device without needing to hum. www.smartstartinc.com | 1.800.880.3394
Meets Global Requirements
Dräger offers the INTERLOCK XT, which meets all worldwide device requirements. It features a mouthpiece with a non-return valve, infrared interface for data download, menu buttons for additional functions, full-text display, a microprocessor and measuring unit with Dräger Sensor and an optionally detachable connection to the control box. www.dsdi4life.com | 1.866.385.5900
Onboard Data Logger
Guardian Interlock offers the AMS2000 Model. The device has auto calibration, which eliminates the need for adjustment from the service center. It also requires a hum tone and a blow/inhale to thwart circumvention. Other technology found in the AMS2000 includes an on-board data logger, which records every interaction a driver has with his or her car, a circumvention alarm, a bypass detection, and a variable driving privilege (VDP), which can restrict a driver’s privileges and be set to accept tests at only predetermined times. www.guardianinterlock.com | 1.800.499.0994
Integrated Technology
The Dräger Interlock 7000 is the culmination of more than seven years of development. Dräger’s newest interlock seamlessly integrates an intelligent camera system and GPS/GPRS technology, which they report is the first time that a single unit has combined the most recent innovations into one device. Additional features support circumvention prevention and location services to meet specific local law enforcement requirements. www.dsdi4life.com | 1.866.385.5900
Alcohol Monitoring
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 sets the bar as a proven deterrent to drinking. On any given day, SCRAM CAM generates an average 99.3% Sober Days rate, meaning that 99.3% of all offenders being monitored by the product are sober and fully compliant with court orders. www.alcoholmonitoring.com | 1.800.557.0861
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IID with Cam
LifeSafer boasts the most widely used IID in the U.S. They offer the FC100 Ignition Interlock with
Camera, which is interfaced with the patent-pending target tracking camera system. The device prevents the driver from starting the car until a positive identification has been made by recording an image of the person sitting in the driver’s seat. The device is separately mounted near the rearview mirror so as not to obstruct the driver’s view. www.lifesafer.com | 1.800.634.3077
Web-Based Call System
call2test is a randomized, webbased, call-in system for drug and alcohol testing and probation report-
ing. It can be configured in less than 60 seconds, is automated, and can be used by courts of any size. By utilizing existing Interactive Voice Response technologies, call2test is able to provide service at a low cost per offender. call2test.com | 1.888.972.9166
Patented Camera
The Smart Start SSI-20/30 and SSI-20/20 are handheld electronic devices that test for the presence of alcohol and are wired into the vehicle’s ignition system. An alcohol specific fuel cell sensor is utilized with a patented breath sampling system. Periodic re-tests are required once the car is started. Smart Start holds a patent on its camera technology. www.smartstartinc.com | 1.800.880.3394
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BY G.F. GUERCIO, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
DRUG MONITORING It’s important to pair the right amount of monitoring to the exact needs of the offender.
PRODUCTS, programs, and
services facilitate drug testing and screening in the courts. Challenges—as with achieving sobriety—are inherent in the process. Court-mandated monitoring is currently the vehicle to combat the issue. ”Some of the challenges we face are the same ones we have always faced—getting accurate and complete information quickly into the hands of decision makers,” says Steve Barber, director of testing at Span Corporation. ”We also consider it imperative that that information be presented in such a way that the courts interpret it correctly while avoiding assumptions not based on sound science.” “The goal of including random drug testing in an offender’s treatment is to motivate them to stay away from drugs by risk of punishment,” says Sam Hotchkiss, call2test CTO. “The problem with random drug testing is that most counties have extremely antiquated solutions reaping nothing but frustration for both the offenders and the testing managers. By law, random drug testing has to be truly
random, and not only do these antiquated solutions run the risk of not being random, they also have flaws that allow offenders to work around the system.” But, he adds, recent advances in technology are providing better tools. The tools—whether products, programs or services—vary as widely as the substances they precede to detect. Whether testing is done through bodily fluids, breath, or transdermally, accuracy and reporting are crucial with each method. Says Melissa Ray, Draeger’s director of marketing, Impairment Checks, “Advanced technology will allow courts to get results in real-time so that the judge can take immediate action. This responsiveness ultimately helps improve the overall program. Simply having the technology available can encourage participants to stick to the program guidelines when the threat of testing is looming and should a positive test come up, judges can motion for rehab or detention while the participant is still on hand and in court.” Kathleen Brown, director of PR and marketing communications for SCRAM Systems, notes the different approaches: “Because alcohol clients
are not all alike, courts also face the challenge of pairing alcohol clients with the right monitoring tool to meet their risks and needs. Higherrisk clients require more intensive monitoring to reduce the risk of reoffense, while over-supervision can actually negatively impact lower-risk individuals.” She points out that the technologies available today are helping courts tailor their alcohol programs and achieve better outcomes. Adds Felix J.E. Comeau, ACS Corp./Alcolock CEO, “Technological advancements make it easy to detect specific amounts of common drugsof-abuse in saliva, and perhaps breath samples in the near future. This will necessitate legislature to establish per se limits for commonly abused drugs, like the limits currently in place for blood alcohol content.” Overall, according to Wendy Locklin, commercial marketing manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific, “It could be argued that drug testing in treatment-based courts has changed a great deal over the last few decades. It could also be said that little has changed with the exception of the increasing number of drugs—illicit and prescription—
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that are being screened for these days. In order to ensure one’s program is performing drug testing that is relevant, it is important to understand where we are today and where the future may take us.” The gamut of products, services and programs available today provide options for every court situation. Here are just a few.
Administrator Control
The system call2test puts the control in the administrator’s hands, eliminating the need for color-code systems, answering machines, all while providing detailed reporting. The administrator uses the intuitive online
interface to set up each offender and how often they need to test. The call2test software tracks offenders on an individual basis, and can be utilized with privatized IDs because it requires no personal identifiable information. It uses a sophisticated complex randomization algorithm to ensure compliant random testing requirements. Additionally, call2test gives administrators the ability to excuse offenders from testing, schedule timeframes when they won’t need to test, and it records offenders’ phone numbers and voice so administrators can be sure who is calling. call2test, http://call2test.com, info@call2test.com, 1.888.972.9166
Transdermal Test
SCRAM Continuous Alcohol Monitoring is a widelyused 24/7 transdermal alcohol testing system for higherrisk alcohol offenders. The ankle bracelet is worn 24/7 and tests for alcohol every 30 minutes to eliminate testing gaps and drive accountability. Of the 370,000 individuals monitored with SCRAM CAM, 99.4 percent of all clients, every day, are completely August/September 2014x WWW.COURTSTODAY.COM
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sober and compliant, meaning no drinking and no tampering. SCRAM CAM has been validated in courts across the county and monitoring data is single-source admissible. The bracelet also includes optional house arrest to provide alcohol and location monitoring in a single device. SCRAM Systems, www.scramsystems.com, 1.800.557.0861
Collect, Analyze, Manage
Thermo Scientific offers a complete solution that includes collection devices, extensive menu of urine and oral fluid immunoassays,
clinical analyzers, and data management software. Thermo Scientific Indiko and Indiko Plus systems are fully automated and self-contained. These analyzers provide a costeffective solution that can be easily adopted by drug court labs. Thermo Fisher Scientific, thermoscientific.com/diagnostics, 510.979.5157
Rear-Face Display
The Alco-Sensor FST is a pocketsized, evidential-grade handheld breath alcohol tester, featuring patented rearfacing design display. The rearfacing display allows the operator to easily use the instrument ambidextrously, while monitoring the surrounding environment safely. In addition
to direct sampling, the Alco-Sensor FST is capable of performing a headspace analysis of a sample over an open container. The instrument also can be read in low-light conditions, with its backlit LCD display and illuminated mouthpiece guide. Intoximeters, www.intox.com, 1.314.429.4000
Portable with Facial Recognition
SCRAM Remote Breath is a handheld, wireless, portable breath alcohol tester that provides government-grade facial recognition, highresolution photos, BrAC results, and a GPS location with every test. Automated facial matching reduces manual photo review by 90-95 percent, freeing staff to focus on the clients who require the most attention. Random, scheduled, and ondemand testing gives courts more flexibility to monitor clients, while the immediate notifications of test results helps to quickly address vio-
the industry, according to the company. The mobile two-step system is non-invasive, eliminating the hassle of collecting urine or blood. The ready-to-use test cassette comes with a built-in sample collector and volume indicator; device is a rechargeable, fully -automated analyzer providing controlled accurate analysis on site. Since oral fluid is not considered a bio-hazard, there are no costly special certifications needed to use the device. In addition, print results on the spot with the Dr채ger Mobile Printer for dependable documentation. Drager Safety Diagnostics, Inc., www.draeger.com/roadside, 1.866.385.5900
Oral Fluid Drug Testing lations. SCRAM Remote Breath also stores test schedules and results onboard when out of cell coverage and forwards them when service is reacquired, so data is never lost. SCRAM Systems, www.scramsystems.com, 1.800.557.0861
OraSure Technologies Intercept Oral Fluid Drug Test is a lab-based drug-of-abuse testing system that offers the convenience of oral fluid with the confidence of laboratory results. Its simple collection process eliminates costs and dignity collec-
Immediate Detection
The Dr채ger DrugTest 5000 System is an easy-to-use oral fluid screening device providing immediate qualitative detection for seven types of commonly abused drugs using Dr채ger DrugTest 5000 Test Kits with the lowest THC cutoff in
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tion issues, reduces sample tampering while providing accurate results. Intercept is FDA cleared for nine drugs of abuse. Since the collection can be done virtually anytime and anywhere, Intercept offers a streamlined and controlled collection process and is highly cost effective. www.orasure.com or 610.882.1820
Tamper Patent
With Doxtech bottle and cap, no tamper-evident tapes are necessary. When the polyethylene closure is pressed into the bottle, the closure is permanently locked. Contents cannot be adulterated without obvious damage to the cap and/or bottle. Due to the patented O-ring locking system, Doxtech containers virtually
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never leak. The re-lockable plug is used to re-lock an opened spout to maintain the “forensic” integrity of sample. Lab may open and re-lock repeatedly with a permanent visual record of the number of openings inside the container. The tamperproof I.D. label is a special waterproof (urine proof) I.D. label placed inside the bottle before a sample is collected. Once locked, the I.D. label cannot be changed, removed, or adulterated, yet it remains visible through the clear bottle. Doxtech, LLC, www.doxtech.com, 1.800.524.7387
Saliva Screener
DrugWipe saliva screeners test for six common drugs of abuse. The process is fast and simple: obtain a saliva sample using the integrated swab, place the collector onto the test cassette, press the blue button to
Carter Goble Lee ........................5 Connectrex, Inc.........................15 CourtView ..................................17 Draeger Medical Systems .......27 eCourts ......................................23 Infax .............................................2 Jury Systems, Inc. .....................19 New Dawn Technologies.........11 OraSure Technologies, Inc. .....31 Phoenix Kiosk ...........................21 StunCuff Enterprises, Inc...........6 Thermo Fisher Scientific..........33 Thomson Reuters.....................36 TouchPay Payment Systems .....9 Tyler Technologies....................35 Xerox ............................................7 This advertisers index is provided as a service to our readers only. The publisher does not assume liability for errors or omissions.
release the testing agents—then read the results in 3-8 minutes. Any drugs of abuse that have a positive result will be clearly visible in the display window. The DrugWipe screening process takes place in front of the test administrator and is impossible to cheat. The immediate test results reduce the holding time of the person being tested. DrugWipe 6S tests for cannabis (marijuana, hashish), opiates (morphine, heroin, oxycodone), cocaine (crack), benzodiazepine, amphetamines, and methamphetamines (ecstasy). ALCOLOCK USA, www.alcolockusa.com, 1.888.937.9646
synthetic cannabinoids, including three recently Emergency Controlled drugs: AKB-48, UR-144 and XLR-11. As the pioneering laboratory to establish testing for synthesized marijuana, RTL understands that "drug chemists" are quick to change the active ingredients to circumvent federal drug laws. Through vigilant scientific analysis on over 400,000 urine and oral fluid specimens and observed changes to positivity rates, RTL verifies the extensive manufacture and use of many new chemicals, reports the company. Redwood Toxicology Laboratory, www.redwoodtoxicology.com, 1.800.255.2159
Testing Kits
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. offers six Thermo Scientific Oral Fluid Drugs of Abuse immunoassays that test for amphetamines, cannabinoids (THC), cocaine, methamphetamines, opiates, and PCP. Oral fluid tests (OFT) for drugs of abuse offer a valuable alternative to traditional urine sample testing. Collection is observed and non-invasive, reducing the risk of adulterated samples. Samples can be collected during routine field visits or regular check-ins, eliminating the need for laboratory collection. These qualitative tests are used as screening tools to aid in the investigation of drug use. As with any drug screening, confirmation testing is required. ThermoFisher, www.thermofisher.com 1.800.232.3342
Testing Panels
Redwood Toxicology Laboratory (RTL), the government services division of Alere Toxicology, has expanded its urine and oral fluid "K2/Spice" panels. The improved tests detect 19
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