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TELEHEALTH’S ROLE POST PANDEMIC

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THE WAR ON CONTRABAND

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Publisher’s Picks Unique & Innovative Corrections Tech The War on Contraband

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Telehealth: How It’s Helping Transform Lives

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Publisher’s Picks The CPI/Guardian Personal Property System is a unique solution for inmate property claim problems, currently used in more than 400 jails. The property system offers a 100% tamper-evident capability while the vacuum-sealing process obviates lost property claims and facilitates rapid release processing. The property unit is durable and userfriendly and has an extended warranty and 24-hour customer support.

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BY MICHAEL GROHS, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

The War on Contraband Equipping officers with the hi-tech electronics to battle smuggling not only at the door but moving within.

There is no magic bullet to keeping contraband out of prisons. Every product will have limitations, so the best approach, according to Michael Burrows, senior marketing manager at Smiths Detection, is a layered approach. Most people are aware that the human body can be used as a successful transport of contraband. The B-SCAN offers facilities an inside view—literally—of the subject. It shows internal organs, anatomical features, and contraband hidden inside clothing, and it does so in about seven seconds. The B-SCAN comes in different models depending on the dose of radiation: The more radiation, the better the image.

(The Dual View System is the largest dose of radiation; however, even scanning once a week is within American National Standards Institute regulations.)

Naturally drug smuggling is a 8 CORRECTIONS FORUM • SUMMER 2022

STVS’s TH1800 Terahertz imaging contraband detection system integrates detection technologies and elevated temperature into the inmate screening process so that individuals can be screened without their knowledge while generating high-resolution images of anything concealed under their clothing and provide an alert if any individual has a fever.

primary concern, and the catalogue of what is available has grown exponentially as has the threat level. The Smiths’ IONSCAN 600 is a highly sensitive, lightweight, and portable trace

detector. It can be used to accurately detect and identify a wide range of explosive threats and illegal/controlled narcotics including fentanyl. The device can detect where these items have been present down to the nanogram. Even if the user washes their hands, the device will still register a hit. The unit can be relocated while fully operational, which enables it to be used in a broader range of environments. It features non-radioactive ion mobility spectrometry source, which means licensing from national nuclear regulatory agencies is not required.

When amounts of a substance are visible, facilities can use Smiths’ Target-ID in which they can place a sample of the product in the press, and it will analyze the chemical composition. The device has a library of 2,500 chemicals and can recognize both narcotics and cutting agents such

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as baby laxative and cornstarch as well as pharmaceutical drugs such as aspirin. All results of the Target-ID are admissible in court, so when there is a violation, the process can begin. If the results find that the substance is just talcum powder, there is no need to waste any time verifying it at an already overbooked drug lab.

One new development Smiths offers is the iCMORE software program used with baggage conveyor belt scanners. AI and proprietary algorithms evaluate x-ray images to detect specific threats and then identify them by drawing a box around them. TSA agents undergo detailed training to be able to spot difficult-to-see contraband. To the human eye, a knife placed at just the right angle can look like a line. The iCMORE software can replace some of those skills, help with the high turnover rates common in corrections, allow for a reduction of staff training require-

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Smiths’ ICMORE uses artificial intelligence to aid corrections officers in identifying items that may be on a hard-to-read angle, thus reduce the risk of human error.

ments, and reduce the risk of human error.

Metrasens: Portable and Versatile David Link, director of Sales, U.S. Corrections, with Metrasens, points out that the problem doesn’t end by stopping contraband at the door. Metrasens’ solutions address ferrous metal contraband (including the elusive “beat the boss” phone, which is about the size of a thumb drive and uses minimal metal). “A fundamental difference in working with

Metrasens is that we are not limited to the prevention of contraband from entering a facility but in aiding to intercept contraband that is moving within the facility.

By design, we have developed solutions that are portable and therefore versatile to use in just about every area of a correctional facility,” he continues. “That portability introduces an element of surprise to inmates that they cannot plan for and catches them off guard when they are moving with contraband in their possession.”

Link points out that turnover has been a chronic struggle for

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facilities, so Metrasens looks for ways to allow fewer staff to efficiently screen numerous people.

Facilities have also been asking for zone detection (the ability to identify exactly where on the person the contraband is hidden) that runs from head-to-toe, allowing them to keep their eyes focused on the inmate, the alert, and the zone. Metrasens Ultra was launched last year and has been showing a “tremendous impact.”

Ultra is powered by Xact ID, a software-enabled platform that produces optimized sensor performance for greater sensitivity, highly accurate zone identification, and the ability to improve over time as new risk profiles emerge. It also logs events and operational statistics that can be used for managing staff compliance and incidence reporting.

Link points out the element of surprise is among the best tactic available. Inmates know when they will be passing through a

The Spartacus Hercules is among a variety of models manufactured by Aquiline Drone Corporation.

fixed location system. Portable systems can implement screening differently every day and in any location. “For weeks an inmate may get to know the cadence of going from housing unit to chow hall and that there is no screening in the location between Point A and Point B. Except that next day, screening can be set up in practically no time at all, and then there is now screening between those two locations. The

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inmate is caught off guard and now has an issue.”

Right now, adds Link, the biggest impediment to technology adoption and successful results is staff training and compliance.

“Staff eyes light up when they see the versatility in what a system like Metrasens Ultra can do, but the way to make it stick is thorough, hands-on training. At Metrasens we take the training ‘behind the wall’ and make it sit-

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uational in the way that the screening will happen once the facility is on their own with the product. Our goal is to make the staff experts in screening by the time we leave the facility.”

STVS: Inspection for Bodies, Boxes and Temps Secure Technology Value Solutions (STVS) offers inspection systems for human bodies, packages, and thermal temperature screening. Barry Johnson, president and CEO, agrees that the best solution for all facilities is to implement a multi-layered approach that uses different technologies to prevent smuggling by inmates, employees and visitors and stresses that since no two facilities are alike, every screening program must be flexible and customizable. STVS has the integrated solutions and technologies to prevent all major types of contraband: weapons, explosives, narcotics, currency, and electronics.

“One of the latest and most exciting developments is the integration of standoff detection technologies for concealed contraband and elevated temperature into the inmate screening process,” points out Johnson.

This technology includes the TH1800 Terahertz imaging (THz) contraband detection system, which can screen inmates without their knowledge and generate high-resolution images of anything concealed under their clothing, and the TempChecker Infrared Temperature Screening System, which can take the temperature of multiple people simultaneously to ensure sick people do not enter.

A trend in corrections that Johnson has noticed is facilities of all sizes asking about automated body scanners and x-ray machines to replace invasive patdowns and manual inspections.

Since many facilities are older or space is constrained, departments

STVS’s lightweight and compact CX5030T x-ray inspection system scans personal belongings and mail.

need compact systems such as the HT3000SV body inspection system, which identifies threats hidden on and inside the body with one scan, and the lightweight and compact CX5030T xray inspection systems for personal belongings and mail, he says. The device was engineered for the seamless inspection of handheld baggage, parcels, and briefcases and can be easily transported and rapidly deployed to meet evolving security needs.

“Thankfully for the industry, the technologies have evolved to the point where body scanners, xray systems, and other solutions are more compact and accurate,” Johnson continues. Employee and visitor screening presents unique challenges including the requirements for different technologies and procedures. These actions often require negotiations between employee groups, administrators and regulators. The good news is that facilities that have implemented body scanning for employees and visitors have seen positive operational and security results. More facilities are using advanced millimeter wave (MMW) technology such as the MW1000AA to screen employees and visitors without contact or exposure to ionizing radiation.

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Dedrone: Preventing Incursions Mary-Lou Smulders, CMO at Dedrone, points out that as drones have become more capable, the potential for misuse has increased. Drones are getting cheaper, quieter, have a greater range and payload, and are easier to fly. In one facility in Pakistan, a drone was used to deliver four kilos of heroin. They can also be used to observe perimeters and officers’ movements to glean valuable information. DedroneTracker software helps prevent drone incursions by detecting, identifying, and tracking drones.

DedroneTracker can even give warnings before drones take off then, via DedroneSensors and cameras, help security officers track the drone, identify the payload, and locate the pilot to quickly mitigate the threat. The platform enables security professionals to find patterns, easy launch locations, and more to implement

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better security in the future.

Smulders states that savvy prison security professionals use both counter-drone detection solutions as well as drones themselves for continuous patrol and even as a forward security team in an extreme danger situation.

“As a starting point, proactive security teams can use drone detection as a diagnostic tool, building intelligence around the scope and frequency of the problem by auditing airspace and then helping translate that information into strategic security protocol changes. We are able to identify ‘friend’ vs. ‘foe’ drones so that technology like ours, which fully complies with local and federal laws, is easily integrated into a wider security ecosystem.”

Smulders has found drone solutions becoming more common and believe it to be essential for the future. “We believe it is only a matter of time before more DOCs adopt drone mitigation and/or detection technologies, and many facilities are already committed to staying ahead of the threat and finding proactive solutions to secure their airspace from drones.”

As drone use rises, says Smulders, so does the need to effectively monitor, track, and mitigate threats. Drone detection is complex. They come in various shapes, sizes, and control mechanisms, with fixed wings or a varying number of rotors. Radio frequencies also vary. Many are controlled using common radio protocols, but others are controlled via Wi-Fi. Security teams must be increasingly aware of how to differentiate the drones that are a part of their program while exposing unauthorized or hostile drones in their area. “Our DedroneTracker platform shines a light on the ‘blind spot’ of suspicious drones, ensuring airspace is safe from unwanted aircraft.

Dedrone offers tools to help mitigate threats, putting an organization confidently in charge of its own airspace security.”

Aquiline Drones Some companies are fighting fire with fire. Barry Alexander, founder and CEO of Aquiline Drones Corporation points out that drone technology can definitely be used to keep contraband out. Aquiline manufactures a variety of models including the Spartacus Hercules, Spartacus MAX and Spartacus Hurricane.

Not only can drones detect foreign material and trafficking efforts in the prison environment, detection technologies are rapidly being developed for use in infrastructure inspections and crowd monitoring.

Each of these applications provides valuable contributions to contraband inspections through the development of specialized scanning optics and AI software platforms for object identification. Many of the sensors and software technologies used to support terrestrial law enforcement activities, such as Lidar, infrared, and RFID tags, can be mounted on the drone to enable rapid scans of large areas. These systems can play a vital role in recognizing trafficking efforts in recreational areas of the prison grounds and along the perimeter of the facility.

Some of the most recent and important uses of drone technology have emanated from the pandemic, including the spraying of disinfectants, temperature scanning, audio broadcasting and cargo delivery. Drones can be programmed to deliver essential medicines to quarantine areas or personal protective equipment to health care workers, collect patient samples for drug and disease testing and to use in surveillance.

They can be used to help enforce lockdowns and curfews. Drones make it easier for prison guards to see into areas where access is more difficult. Some are even equipped with thermal cameras to carry out night monitoring.

Any time an alarm is pulled for Continues on page 34

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BY M.J. GUERCIO, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Telehealth: THE CHRYSALIS OF THE MENTAL HEALTH METAMORPHOSIS

How connecting inmates and mental health workers can help transform the lives of the incarcerated.

T

he pandemic shut down correctional facilities and prevented mental health care workers from accessing their patients. The criminal justice sector responded urgently by adopting digital technology alternatives.

As a result, mental health care providers, and their patients, were compelled to quickly adapt to virtual sessions. At the height of the pandemic, telehealth became widely adopted as the vehicle for mental health and substance misuse treatment, and its popularity continues.

Although telehealth gained ground as an alternative treatment model during the pandemic, the question remains, is telehealth here to stay post-peakpandemic?

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The answer is a resounding “Yes,” according to Carly E. McCord, Ph.D., licensed psychologist, and director of Telebehavioral Health at the College of Medicine, Texas A&M. “Patients have been responding positively to telehealth even more so than providers. They experienced the rapid uptake in telehealth access and are hesitant to return to inperson visits,” claims Dr. McCord.

Of course, while many patients appreciate the convenience and ease of use that telehealth offers, the benefits extend to providers and institutions. Health care providers can work from home and extend their reach.

Connecting with patients virtually allows them to communicate with clients in other states and countries. Patients also benefit from greater access. "Over time,

we may see that people with specialty needs can get to specialty providers more easily through telehealth,” McCord observes.

Greater access also increases the opportunities for providers to help underserved populations within the corrections industry, especially underfunded, rural or remote facilities. For example, most county jails have little to no mental health support. They often lack the funding necessary to support the mental health needs of their populations.

Additionally, some county jails don’t require a full-time provider because of small or transient populations.

Telehealth is a more cost-effective alternative for facilities that can’t afford or don’t require a full-time mental health care worker. McCord notes, "We have

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a program that links up three rural county jails to provide a multi-site substance abuse and trauma group where a few people from each jail come together to connect and receive group therapy treatment from one of our psychologists.”

Immense potential lies within telehealth for organizations like schools, governments, primary care, and jails that can’t afford or don’t require full-time providers.

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While telehealth has great potential, there are also obstacles to its growth. McCord notes that “as the public health emergency ends, providers are wading through complicated retractions and revisions of policies. Some providers are returning to in-person care to avoid these difficulties.”

Mental health care workers have embraced the telehealth model despite these difficulties and initial skepticism, says

Richard Jones, chief clinical officer, Youturn Health. “Many mental health workers have successfully made the adjustment, and in our opinion, telehealth is here to stay,” he contends. However, some are holding fast to face-toface therapy, he adds, the argument being that telehealth is just not the same immediacy as faceto-face therapy.

Similarly, sometimes patients too prefer in-person treatment— but experts are saying, for the most part, they embrace the benefits of this new, more accessible model. The greatest benefit is increased access (and ease of access) to mental health care within a facility. Jones argues that greater access, in turn, enables patients to follow through on treatment recommendations. “Increased followthrough leads to improved outcomes for the patient, and improved outcomes are good for everyone involved.”

Ease of access leads to increased engagement in therapeutic services, which Jones attests leads to better results and reduced recidivism. He maintains that recidivism is reduced when inmates are retained in treatment and recovery support over the long term with the help of telehealth. The support telehealth can offer is vital because inmates are at a high risk of suicide and overdose, and the demand for the treatment of mental health and substance misuse issues increases every year. “Institutions can no longer ignore these issues; things have progressed to a point where new solutions are necessary, and telehealth is one of those solutions,” Jones says.

Inmates have a lot to gain from the implementation of telehealth, explains Jones. He says that people involved in treatment

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and recovery support get better and that telehealth facilitates that involvement. “The country has hit bottom in terms of failed systems and tragic outcomes,” he asserts. “Deaths of despair [suicide, alcohol-related, and overdose deaths] increase yearly. As a result, there will be unlimited demand for telehealth once the model is fully refined, funded, and developed.”

According to a brief from the Kaiser Family Foundation titled “Telehealth Has Played an Outsized Role Meeting Mental Health Needs During the Covid19 Pandemic,” patient demand for telehealth is rising. KFF found that patients with mental health and substance use disorders used virtual services frequently during the pandemic and continue to do so post-peak-pandemic. Rena Brewer, CEO of Global Partnership for Telehealth (GPT), concurs: "Telehealth is conducive to mental health care and substance misuse treatment because these treatments don’t require physical examinations, and sessions can be held virtually.”

A McKinsey Consumer Survey (2020-2021) discovered that 62 percent of mental health patients completed their most recent appointments virtually in an article titled “Patients Love Telehealth—Physicians Are Not So Sure.” Brewer points out that if the telehealth model works for the

general population, then it can also help offenders. She proposes that “telehealth can improve the outcomes in correctional facilities and assist them with the management of health care.”

Brewer maintains that introducing telehealth into a correctional facility’s health care plan provides access to convenient and appropriate medical and behavioral care.

Furthermore, telehealth can be an ideal solution for initial consulta20 CORRECTIONS FORUM • SUMMER 2022

Global Partnership For Telehealth’s (GPT) cart kit is equipped with a keyboard and screen as well as a Horus Digital Exam Scope with otoscope, general and dermatology lens attachments and an OMNISteth Stethoscope.

tions and follow-up appointments.

“Telehealth ensures that inmates receive onsite, timely, and quality health care that simultaneously diminishes costs and risks.”

Challenge of Elderly Care One of the high-cost challenges that facilities face is providing health care to an aging corrections population. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, over 10 percent of the U.S. inmate population is 55 and older. In some states, that percentage is much higher, as in Montana, where it is 17 percent. A significant shift occurred in the age distribution of the corrections system from 1999 to 2016. During this period, the population of offenders 55 and older increased a whopping 280 percent.

This dramatic increase in elderly inmates has heightened the

strain on the correctional health care system. Senior population members have more significant health needs, and facilities struggle to keep up with the increased demand. Moreover, Brewer notes that senior inmates often receive inadequate health care and symptom management. She says that the focus of most corrections facilities is not on health care but security; most facilities aren't equipped to meet the health care needs of inmates, especially the needs of more senior offenders.

Brewer further states that limited access to providers with geriatric expertise results in incorrect or inadequate diagnoses, which in turn leads to ineffective treatment options and poor health outcomes. “Telehealth provides a critical pathway to ensure older inmates receive essential medical and behavioral health services while minimizing health and safety risks,” she adds.

Telehealth Kiosks and Carts Arthur Cooksey, CEO, and founder of Let’s Talk Interactive, Inc. (LTI), agrees that access to care is critical for inmates of all ages—and believes that it is vital to their rehabilitation. "Mental health care workers see telehealth as a tool to make mental health support more accessible. It allows inmates to continue to receive care including mental health and substance abuse support in places where access to specialty care is limited,” he says.

Facilities around the country are struggling to meet the overwhelming mental health and substance misuse needs of their populations; Cooksey suggests that telehealth can help in this regard. He also acknowledges that many facilities struggle with staffing issues, a significant impediment to providing adequate care. Telehealth could help fill the gaps left by staff shortages by providing alternative access to care. “The telehealth model allows inmates access to support more often and right at

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their fingertips.” If offenders are struggling with their mental health and require immediate access to care, telehealth kiosks and portals within a facility provide onthe-spot access to professional assistance.

Let’s Talk Interactive has partnered with Disc Village, the Franklin County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office, the Northwest Florida Health Network, and numerous other county jails to implement telehealth kiosks and Medcarts.

These access points allow providers to see more patients because the telehealth model eliminates the need for them to travel between facilities. They also allow inmates to meet with counselors, psychiatrists, and other specialty doctors without leaving the jail.

Telehealth enables patients to access mental health care regard-

less of barriers like provider shortages in an area. “The result of implementing telehealth is a greater continuity of treatment and increased access to culturallycompetent and clinically-specific clinicians, which can have a more positive impact on the patient and helps to accomplish the end goal of reducing recidivism,” Cooksey asserts.

Additionally, telehealth supports preparation for re-entry and allows inmates to build relationships with community-based mental health care providers virtually. Its ease of access increases the likelihood that ex-offenders will continue their treatment upon release. “Case management teams can also use telehealth to help facilitate re-entry planning and coordination for people leaving jails or prisons,” he says.

Cooksey advocates that the growth potential of telehealth lies not just in its ability to support re-entry but also in its ability

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The LTI Premier Preferred Telehealth Tabletop Kiosk comes in a 15- or 22inch touchscreen monitor.

to securely integrate with other health care platforms and EMRs (electronic medical records).

Integrating health care platforms Continues on page 34

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BY G.F. GUERCIO, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Supervision Solutions through Software

Case Management Systems and monitoring devices provide the framework for success through improved efficiency and outcomes.

t

ackling tough issues through technology is the answer five top industry execs shared recently when asked for the current biggest issues and possible solutions. Each brought to the table a different issue faced by all supervision agencies and case managers. As background, several of those interviewed acknowledge shadowing community corrections staff or being part of community corrections, seeing a problem, and now addressing through their company.

As a result of the pandemic, James Newman, senior vice president at cFive Solutions, notes 22 CORRECTIONS FORUM • SUMMER 2022

agencies struggle to manage changes. “As we all saw during the pandemic, change can be disruptive.” But, he adds, “Change can also be a fantastic motivator.”

He observes that the agencies that used the challenges of the pandemic to reevaluate their needs and processes, and build from them, are now in a better place. “Especially those that took the time to research and implement technology to help them.”

One example he cited is the ability to supervise clients remotely.

“The agencies that went beyond just sending their staff home with a laptop and implemented a technology solution that enabled staff

and clients to manage supervision requirements remotely are finding great success.”

As another example, he notes, during the pandemic agencies replaced face-to-face meetings with live video calls. “Today agencies continue to use the video calls to talk to clients while they are at home, work or school; they still have the visual aspect of a live meeting, but agencies are finding clients appreciate the time and cost savings since they don’t have to miss work or travel to their case manager’s office.”

Plus, he adds, client engagement has increased. “We can’t predict what’s coming next, but I think that how well an agency is pre-

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The cFive Catalyst client profile page. The cFive product suite was designed to provide community supervision agencies (probation, parole, pretrial, juvenile justice and community corrections) the framework to optimize programs, case managers and client outcomes.

pared will depend on their ability to roll out new technologies to help them handle the changes.”

As background, he says the cFive product suite was designed to provide community supervision agencies (probation, parole, pretrial, juvenile justice and community corrections) the framework to optimize programs, case managers and client outcomes.

He says cFive Supervisor is the only platform that features a process-driven design that facilitates intuitive and accurate data collection, supports configurable and dynamic workflows that help agencies implement evidencebased practices, facilitates interjurisdictional information sharing, provides built-in outcomeoriented reports, and features an easy-to-use ad hoc report-builder that gives agencies access to all their data.

He notes the cFive product suite was designed in part by shadowing community corrections staff to understand the work that needs to be done, the policies that need to be integrated and the challenges that users face on a daily basis. Other components 24 CORRECTIONS FORUM • SUMMER 2022

include an integrated case planning and assessment service, and vendor service and community supervision modules offer added functionality without the need for multiple software systems.

“Catalyst pairs the technology clients need to meet supervision requirements and avoid FTAs [failure to appear], with behavior change and positive reinforcement techniques that can help them build positive, sustainable long-term habits.”

A Dive into Value Showing sustainable public value is important to agencies looking for funding, according to Evan C. Crist, Psy.D., founder, owner, and CEO at CorrectTech.

Corrections has always struggled getting the funds needed to provide for clients' needs and staff expectations, he says. “Now, more than ever, the industry is expected to do more with less.”

All agencies are struggling to fill vital positions and paying more to hire qualified employees, he adds, and “agencies who utilize computers to complete routine tasks will be more efficient and

therefore require fewer employees.” With a few exceptions, corrections tends to run behind on technological advances, he acknowledges, and “the ones who do embrace technology will rise to the top during challenging financial times.”

To delve a little deeper, he explains that legislatures with the purse strings are generally no longer giving providers the benefit of the doubt. “Providers have to get better at telling a story about their mission and success.”

And that story begins with data that proves that the agency provides substantial public value.

“The programs that embrace evidence-based practices and learn to use data to convince policy makers of their value will continue to thrive.”

Built out of frustration while operating community corrections programs, Crist says CorrectTech solves a variety of the daily pains for direct care staff and their supervisors. “We provide much more than software. We partner with organizations to improve their practices and help them tell that story so others understand

too.” And as a correctional psychologist, Crist says, “Evidencebased processes are baked into the software and automated documentation.”

CorrectTech is a comprehensive case management system for any corrections population or agency, he says. “Providing seamless integration between security, case management and administrative functions, all of your data and tasks are easily accessible.”

He adds, “We believe strongly that successful agencies employ computers to do what they do best, so staff can focus on what matters...people, not paper.”

The software performs various functions including tracking positive reinforcement at the client level and staff level, planning

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and tracking client dosage requirements and achievements, and enrolling clients in classes and tracking attendance. As a true paperless office, case managers can automate clients signing in/out via client kiosks, automate treatment plans that are assessment driven and well defined which includes an audit function to identify what is missing from client files, and automatically discharges summaries with comprehensive review of progress and incidents. Most of the industry assessments are already built in, says Crist, but “if you want one and we don't have, we can build it.”

Access to industry assessments is key to new software, according to several industry experts.

Northpointe General Manager Eric Tumperi at equivant points to community correction’s biggest issue as agencies whose operations are anchored to one or more old and ineffective data systems designed in a different era for a smaller purpose. “There is a tremendous need for an information system that does two things well: streamline everyday operations for staff efficiency and effectiveness and provide the necessary data to make good decisions based on an agency’s own data.”

He says as a possible solution, “Whether it means keeping the old system in place for historical records or replacing it, implementation of a modern information system that both automates the necessary functions for frontline staff so that they can focus on what matters, while also making available to analysts, decision-makers and management the data in a usable form for better decisions and better outcomes” is key. He adds that often necessary in a solution like this are interfaces to multiple systems to avoid information silos and double data entry.

To describe the major functions of the software, Tumperi details that the Northpointe Suite 26 CORRECTIONS FORUM • SUMMER 2022

The principles of evidence-based practices in community corrections supported by CorrectTech.

includes comprehensive case management and nationally-recognized decision support tools for justice professionals working in pretrial, probation, parole, problem-solving courts, and institutional corrections with the intent to guide interventions that focus on the individual and effectively reduce recidivism. “We provide integrated services to help customer agencies achieve their project goals including business process analysis, implemen-

tation planning, configuration and testing, hosting on a CJIS (Criminal Justice Information Services) compliant platform, and integration services for connecting the Northpointe Suite to third-party and agency systems.”

The suite includes six modules: Risk and Needs Assessments (COMPAS-R, LSI, ORAS), Supervision Case Management (pretrial using nationally-validated PSA, VPRAI, VPRAI-R, ORAS-PAT), Jail Classification (using the indus-

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try’s only validated classification tool, the Northpointe Decision Tree), Custody Management and Problem-Solving Court.

Community corrections’ biggest problem is out in the field, according to Marquis Software’s Ben Harrell, director of sales and marketing. He says it’s “P.O.s (parole officers) having information at their fingertips even in areas that have low to no Internet connections.” The solution from Marquis is its electronic Offender Management Information System (eOMIS), which he points out allows agencies to have their whole case load in use offline in bad cell zones and the ability to upload when they get service.

He also notes the importance of technology when interfacing with GPS tracking devices and having GIS (graphic information system) maps that can allow for GEO (geocentric) Fencing “to make sure a client is not within 1,000 feet of a school or whatever the requirement.”

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Wrist-wearing electronic monitoring can remove the stigma of wearing a monitoring device, like this one from Impairment Detection Services LLC.

And with gas prices so high, taking the most efficient routes to see clients and having a GIS map to show which clients are closest to each P.O. helps, he adds. In regard to security, when going into a dangerous client’s home, a button informs of the officer’s location, and as a safety measure, “if that button is not pressed again in a predetermined time, an alert will be sent.”

An industry change Harrell would like to see is more integration with electronic health records (EHR) for “understanding the medical needs of client when they are in the community.”

Marquis’ eOMIS provides electronic health records, inmate management, and community supervision case management in one solution. He notes that “eOMIS is a collection of 46 modules that are integrated or can be split into separate applications.”

The modules that relate to EHRs cover medical, mental health, dental, and outside services. On the facility side, the modules cover intake, bed assignment, risk and needs analysis, security threat group, banking and commissary, PREA and more.

The community supervision modules provide mobile apps for the officer and the parolee. “The P.O.’s whole client list is on their mobile app, which has been proven to increase their efficiency by 30 percent,” Harrell says.

The client app allows parolees to check in remotely while the text app allows communication. “It’s been proven that parolees are 48

percent more likely to make court dates or appointments if they are sent a text reminder 24 hours in advance.”

With continued focus on clients, Chris Crucilla, chief development officer, Impairment Detection Services LLC, says one of the field’s biggest issues is employment opportunities for those wearing electronic monitoring devices.

“Although the reason for not getting the job is never given, the stigma of wearing a electronic monitoring device is still there,” he says. “Our hope in releasing the MethodTracks monitoring device is to remove the stigma behind electronic monitoring by moving the monitor to the wrist.”

In addition to the ability for

wireless charging, the device has a built-in pulse monitor and temperature sensor. “Our devices are non-obtrusive and provide the highest level of monitoring in a discrete manner,” Crucilla points out. And with the wireless charging, there’s “no need to be tethered to the wall.”

Tackling these tough issues for clients using electronic monitoring, or for officers trying to connect to data in the field, for those case managers struggling with outdated systems, or trying to produce data for funding, or those meeting challenges and changes brought about since the pandemic, all the issues can be addressed with the right technology. %

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BY DONNA ROGERS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Fire Power ncarcerated people benefit from working jobs in prison. It’s a way to learn responsibility, collaboration and endurance. It’s assisted formerly incarcerated people in the job market upon release and that in turn has proven to reduce recidivism.

At the same time, wildfires are burning at a record rate.

So might it not be a win-win for those inside who qualify to fight fires? They can fill the gap where firefighters are desperately needed, and likewise learn a trade, all while earning some cash. But with all the positive attributes, the downside includes low pay, danger and a crooked path to employment.

In Colorado, members of the State Wildland Inmate Fire Team have been involved since 2002 in relief for most of state’s biggest

I

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disasters. From the devastating Northern Colorado floods to the recent Cameron Peak (2020) and Morgan Creek (2021) Fires, these teams have helped to safeguard land, life and homes, details Annie Skinner, public information officer with Colorado DOC. Currently 52 incarcerated individuals are working in the SWIFT program (doing both mitigation and firefighting); the department anticipates that will increase later this year to include 80 incarcerated individuals.

So far this year, Colorado fire crews have already battled four fires—from the Marshall Fire in Boulder in January to the Plumtaw Fire in Pagosa Springs in May. They are busy and the pay is good in comparison to some other departments. First year crew members earn $40/day

while those in their second year pull in $50/day. Inmate supervisors, called “red hats” make the minimum hourly wage of about $12 an hour.

Over and above pay, a significant benefit is time off for good behavior—incarcerated crew members receive a one-day sentence reduction for every day they are on a fire.

Further, crews are trained in sustainable mitigation development and maintenance following the standardized methods of construction commonly used by state, federal and local land management agencies. The program provides forest thinning, fuels mitigation, mine reclamation, restoration, tree planting and natural resource related projects, all with an eco-conscious mindset.

In California, CDCR, in coop-

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eration with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD), jointly operates 35 conservation camps, commonly known as fire camps, located in 25 counties across the state. Approximately 1,600 inmates work at fire camps and, of those, about 900 are line-qualified to work fires. In addition to firefighter jobs, volunteers in the Conservation Camp program (CCP) can work as support staff for the camps and include positions such as cooks, laundry workers, landscapers, and water treatment plant workers. All camps are minimum-security facilities staffed with incarcerated individuals, all of whom have volunteered for this work.

The traditional enticements for prisoners to volunteer are a chance to earn 2-for-1 sentence reduction credits and the $2-a-day pay, which is high compared to other California prison jobs. Volunteer numbers, however, have slid over the past decade. Part of that slide extends back to 2011 Realignment legislation which extended 2-for-1 credits to all minimum-security prisoners—not just those in the firefighter program—enticing many to take less dangerous jobs for the same benefits.

In an effort to expand employment opportunities for incarcerated persons paroling from fire camps, CDCR, CAL FIRE and the California Conservation Corps partnered to implement a Firefighter Training and Certification Program in Ventura County in October 2018.

The Ventura Training Center (VTC) is an 18-month program that provides advanced firefighter training to eligible former offenders on parole who have recently been part of a trained firefighting workforce housed in fire camps or institutional firehouses operated by CAL FIRE and CDCR. Members of the California Conservation Corps are also eligible to participate.

Inaugural Program in Arizona Meanwhile in Arizona this past March, more than 100 inmates graduated after completing training to become members of the first Arizona Healthy Forest Initiative crew. As part of this new program to combat wildfires, incarcerated individuals attended classroom and field training, where they learned how to manage hazardous vegetation across the state’s vast terrain.

Last year, Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation establishing this forest initiative. Through a partnership between the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry and the Department of Forestry and Fire Management, low-risk inmates are employed to clear forests of debris and help prevent wildfires.

ADCRR Director David Shinn states that this historic initiative will provide additional resources “to reduce both wildfires and

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recidivism by offering meaningful job skills training for inmates to create successful employment opportunities upon release.”

In addition to the newly minted graduates, more than 194 inmates are participating in an existing ADCRR-DFFM program as Wildland Fire Crew members.

The Downside While there is positive news about inmate firefighting jobs, unfortunately not all news is good news. When historic wildfires burned through Arizona in June 2020, two out of three of the firefighters who brought the blazes under control were state prisoners who were paid just pennies on the dollar to do the same job as well-paid professional firefighters working right next to them, according to a Feb. 1, 2021 article by Dale Chappell published in Prison Legal News.

Inmates often suffer from unsafe working conditions. Some

CORRECTIONS FORUM • SUMMER 2022 31

Since 2002, the Colorado SWIFT crews have been involved in relief for most of state’s biggest disasters. They are also trained in forest thinning, cleanup, tree planting and natural resource-related projects.

of the higher-paying prison jobs are, by their very nature, extremely dangerous, like firefighting. In fact 2018 was one of the worst fire seasons ever recorded in California, and several firefighters were seriously injured fighting the infamous Camp Fire.

Two were prisoners who suffered severe burns to their face and neck. Three prisoners in the state have died from 2016 to 2018 while training or fighting fires.

In addition, the pay can be low. In Arizona, professional firefighters make more than $22 per hour while inmate firefighters are paid $1.50 per hour to fight wildfires and only 50 cents an hour for other firefighting work, according to a report by Kent State University.

“Absolutely it saves the state, and ultimately the taxpayers money,” DFFM spokesperson Tiffany Davilla said. “Fire suppression is not cheap, and we must find cost savings when it comes to fighting fire.”

Prisoners in Arizona also earn days off their sentence, but at a severely reduced rate compared to California state prisoner firefighters. Because of Arizona’s “truth in sentencing” law enacted during the failed “tough on crime” era in the 1990s, which requires state prisoners to serve at least 85 per32 CORRECTIONS FORUM • SUMMER 2022

cent of their sentences, prisoners are limited on how much time off they can earn by working and improving themselves. In California, as stated above, a prisoner can earn two days off his sentence for each day worked in the firefighter program. Arizona prisoners can earn only one day off for every six days they work.

Another major challenge in firefighting for those incarcerated is that the skills learned do not always translate into post release jobs.

Proponents argue that the firefighting program trains them for jobs after release. However, in almost all cases prisoners are unable to obtain jobs as firefighters once they are freed, due to their criminal record preventing them from receiving EMT licenses.

In California—up until recently—CCP firefighters are usually unable to use their experience and training outside of prison. The state’s 900-plus local fire departments require employees to have an EMT license that is impossible to obtain for recently released felons, who must wait 10 years to apply after they leave prison.

However, landmark legislation lifted that requirement. In September 2020, Gov. Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2147, which provides an expedited expunge-

ment pathway for formerly incarcerated people who have successfully participated as incarcerated firefighters in the state’s Conservation Camp Program.

Under AB 2147, a person that served as an incarcerated firefighting crew member is eligible to apply for an expungement upon release from custody, and if the expungement is approved, they then would be able to seek various career pathways including those that require a state license.

According to CDCR, “many former incarcerated firefighters from fire camps go on to gain employment with CAL FIRE, the United States Forest Service and interagency hotshot crews, which do not require EMT certifications.

CAL FIRE does not require EMT certification to become employed as a firefighter with their department, nor do federal firefighting crews or private municipal fire departments.”

Likewise in Colorado. The state legislature in April 2021 passed a bill (SB 21-012) to try to remove some hurdles for formerly incarcerated individuals who wanted to go on to pursue a fire service career after release, explains PIO Skinner.

“More than 50 SWIFT and mitigation crew members have gone on to do civilian fire or fuel-reduction work upon release,” she notes.

“We are hopeful that former SWIFT crew members who may have previously been denied the opportunity to find a career in the service prior to SB21-012 can have the chance now to positively impact the state’s firefighting resources, and have the chance to pursue these jobs and get hired based on their skills and qualifications, and not be rejected because of a past conviction.”

Finally, she says: “Whether an individual chooses to join the fire service after they leave incarceration, being a member of a SWIFT crew allows them to provide a public service, find dignity in the work, save money, pay off restitution and put them on a solid path for the future.” %

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Continued from page 14

Continued from page 21

possible perimeter intrusion, an inmate attempting to escape, or a hostile drone coming in from the outside, drones can be programmed to autonomously launch themselves and begin flying pre-set patterns with each one broadcasting live video feeds back to the control room. The memory card automatically records the video being captured for later reference. Drones can also be used inside prisons during times of unrest when inmates disable surveillance cameras. Jails can choose between large, intimi-

and EMRs into telehealth systems will expand telehealth’s capabilities and amplify its ability to support the health care needs of inmates.

Some companies are fighting fire with fire, that is, using drones to monitor hostile intruder drones. dating drones that let escapees and intruders know they’re being watched, or super-small nano drones that can monitor what’s happening without being easily spotted. They can also provide exact GPS coordinates of intruder aircraft so that guards know exactly where the operator is located. In this scenario, the facility’s drone can fly up to a hostile drone and follow it back to its operator. At the very least, the attempted contraband transfer would be stopped. At best, the pilot of the hostile drone would be caught and arrested and the drone seized.

One caveat is that as more facilities acquire drones, they will have to train their staff members to fly them and earn the needed FAA certification. Aquiline makes this process easier through its proprietary Flight to the Future (F2F) program, an online drone pilot instruction program that teaches operators how to utilize drone and cloud technology safely and effectively. % 34 CORRECTIONS FORUM • SUMMER 2022

AD INDEX

Outpatient Treatment Not only does telehealth support re-entry, but it also has the potential to become embedded in outpatient competency restoration services (OCR). These services provide outpatient competency education to non-dangerous defendants found incompetent to stand trial. Cooksey states that OCRs are recognized to improve care for mentally ill offenders accused of misdemeanor offenses. The program offers the accused mental health services through outpatient treatment centers or community mental health systems. The sessions are accessible via mobile phones, computers, or community kiosks, providing individuals with greater access and increasing the number of successful outcomes.

Telehealth provides increased access to care for offenders from intake to re-entry. Though there will always be a need for in-person health care visits, telehealth is here to stay, playing a valuable part in a patient's mental health care metamorphosis. When used in conjunction with in-person visits, it can help combat the overwhelming rise of mental health and substance misuse needs and the more significant health needs of an aging corrections population.

Telehealth can help fill the void of provider shortages, and it can offer a channel for change to connect inmates that don’t have access with specialists and clinicians that will be most effective in treating them. A caregiver well versed in someone's cultural and clinical needs is fundamental to their healing process and can help them on their journey towards recovery, rehabilitation and true metamorphosis. %

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