Did you know that RFID Technology is used to track inmate movements and for effective prison management, ensuring inmate tracking and prison access control and security? Effective inmate movement management includes security, accountability, openness, and operational effectiveness. Traditional methods of tracing, like paper records in prison reviews and head counting, provide room for errors.
RFID, as an automatic identification and data capture technology, makes it possible to have real-time open visibility of the entire square inch of a correctional facility. Radiofrequency identification provides law enforcement officials with control over prison security, prison operations, and inmate management at correctional facilities and maximum security prisons.
The use of RFID identification for prison officials and inmates is done through RFID cards and RFID wristbands made of polyester, ensuring a unique ID for each.
In this blog, let’s explore various aspects of prison management and how RFID technology helps.
Why does Prison Management Need Modern Technology Solutions like RFID?
Inmate mobility in detention facilities has forever been a complex task. With RFID, from head counts to controlling movement areas, all of it can be tracked and monitored.
Inmate tracking in the criminal justice system can be challenging due to several reasons:
A. Manual count relies on corrections personnel to successfully recount and track inmates anywhere from two to three times a day during various head counts, and introducing RFID can end the cause of miscounts and delays, saving disruptions in scheduled plans.
B. When unexpected movements are made outside confinement zones, unseen at the right moment, it can make it harder to interpret unauthorized movement within secured areas or capture escape attempts that have been made until after the fact.
RFID-based Access Control System
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C. Prison management officials are usually unaware of the real-time location of inmates (i.e. where they are, with whom, and whether or not the inmate needed to be engaged in a program), which can significantly affect handling reports and attaining audit results. With RFID, several zones are created and inmates are tracked throughout in real-time.
How RFID Works in Correctional Facilities?
RFID is a wireless technology that offers automatic identification and real-time monitoring of inmates without any manual checks or line of sight.
1.RFID Tags
Each inmate is given an RFID tag, normally in the form of RFID Wristbands which are robust, durable, tamper-resistant, and can be used 24/7. These tags store unique prisoner IDs and transmit the same via RF signals to RFID readers upon interrogation.
These wristband tags serve the function of inmate access control, attendance, and monitoring of inmates in zones.
RFID chip implants are also popular where micro-size RFID chips are inserted in prisoners' arms to keep track of their movement and to monitor their presence in distinct blocks.
2. RFID Readers
RFID readers take signals from RFID tags, employed for tracking inmates' movement within areas under surveillance (entry/exit point, cell block/housing area, dining area, medical bay, etc.) RFID readers are fixed or portable.
A.Fixed RFID Readers– Zebra FX9600 or similar readers, mounted and installed at entry/exit points (e.g. e.g. doorways, gates, etc.)
B. Handheld RFID Readers – RFD40 handheld RFID Reader or similar one, for use by prison management staff in a situation where the fixed infrastructure is not feasible, say RFID-based auditing of each prisoner block by block.
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3. Backend System & Real-Time Dashboard
Once the data is captured by the RFID reader(s) and mobile platforms, the data will be uploaded to a central software platform, which offers:
A. Inmate movement along with zone restriction
B. Unauthorized entry/exit alarms or check-in failure
C. An activity record of all transactions for audits, compliance, or investigations
RFID Vs GPS, which is the Best for Tracking Inmates?
Both RFID and GPS provide location information that can monitor the movement of inmates. However, both solutions offer distinct uses in outlined settings such as a prison.
1.RFID: Designed for Secure, Enclosed Spaces
RFID offers several advantages over GPS technology, including:
A. Short-Range Precision: RFID is excellent at monitoring movement from cell to cell, zone to zone, or building to building inside the prison.
B.Cost: RFID tags and readers are much less expensive than GPS units, especially when implementing a high-volume rollout.
C.Infrastructure Requirements: RFID only needs localized readers placed at various checkpoints within the plant.
D.No Signal Degradation: RFID does not function using signal strength from satellites like the GPS does. This makes RFID especially useful for indoor and underground locations where signal degradation is the norm.
2.GPS: For Long-Distance Tracking
GPS also has some advantages over RFID technology, including:
A.Long-Distance Tracking: GPS comes into play when monitoring movements that are long distance, like a parolee on foot, or tracking an inmate from one facility to another.
B. Battery Power: GPS devices will need constant power to recharge or battery power, cutting into the potential for consistent power-in-beat operation indoors.
C. Not Rated for Room-Level Accuracy: GPS signals will lose strength without a satellite signal and multi-path interference when it is tracking indoors. That implies it cannot be trusted in real-time room-level tracking as a consequence.
RFID is a superior technology and can be applied for real-time indoor tracking of inmates at minimal cost, with precision, and with low maintenance infrastructure. GPS may be applied for outdoor long-range supervision, or GPS Tracking in case of outside facility movement and monitoring needs, like ankle electronic monitoring.
Challenges and Solutions in The Implementation of RFID
Although RFID systems have immense potential to benefit prisons that want to optimize their operating management, businesses will encounter some challenges in deploying one.
1. Upfront Cost
Purchasing RFID tags, RFID readers, and RFID software at the same time can feel expensive, particularly in a large facility. You can always begin with a phased implementation. For instance, tag only your highest-risk areas or begin tracking inmate movements and grow from there.
2. Resistance to Training and Staff Buy-In
Employees can be resistant to learning new technology because they don't know it or feel it takes too much time to learn. For that, provide demonstrations of hands-on training to them, showing how much RFID will lighten their load and make them safer.
3. Legacy Systems Integration
There is also a possibility that prisons' present management or security systems employed with existing systems may not be easily integrated with new RFID software.
Implement interoperable solutions with API capabilities that can integrate into your current platforms while utilizing RFID providers that offer you custom integration support.
4. Inconsistent Tag Reliability associated with the harsh environment
There might be some damage to the tags in harsh environments, or tags might not work properly if they encounter a metal surface or water. Therefore, any tag that one buys should be rugged and tamper-proof.
Finally, inmate movement and safety management, access control, etc. can be ensured using RFID technology. If you’re looking for RFID solutions and RFID hardware, EnCstore.com is the right platform for you because we provide:
A.Custom RFID Tags & Wristbands
B. RFID Middleware Software & Integration Services
C.Real-time Inmate Tracking dashboard
D. End-to-End Process Consultation and Roll-Out
Common Questions Asked About RFID Prison Management
1. Is RFID safe for inmates?
Yes. RFID tags emit low-frequency radio waves and are completely non-invasive and safe for continuous use in correctional environments.
2. Are RFID wristbands or tags subject to interference?
EnCstore sells tamper-evident and robust RFID tags that are challenging to remove, and further interference with tag detection will instantaneously alert the system.
3. How accurate is real-time RFID tracking of inmates?
RFID provides room or zoned accuracy, which is ideal for confined structured environments like prisons. UHF RFID Systems can track multiple tags at one time with an accuracy exceeding 99%.
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