Why Barcodes Don't Work in Corrections
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The importance of safety rounds
The issue of safety rounds is not a new issue for correctional facilities. Many states have been dealing with safety rounds for decades. The use of barcodes and the scanning of them is a new way to conduct safety rounds, but it is not the best way. In the past, correctional officers conducted safety rounds on a regular basis and were required to make their rounds at least once every hour. They would check on inmates, make sure they were following rules and regulations, and make sure there was no violence or threats of violence in the facility. The officers would also check on inmates who were on suicide watch or under suicide precautions. They would also check on inmates who were considered high risk or high profile inmates. If an inmate was under suicide watch or suicide precautions, they would be checked on every 15 minutes by an officer who was trained in suicide prevention and intervention techniques. Inmates that are considered high risk are those who have committed violent crimes such as murder, rape, assault with a deadly weapon, etc., and are serving time in maximum security facilities where they are placed in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day. High profile inmates are those who have committed crimes against children or women and are housed in medium security facilities where they are allowed to be around other inmates but still remain segregated from other prisoners because of their crimes against children and women.
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Barcodes are commonly used to conduct safety rounds
Today's correctional officers conduct safety rounds by using barcodes that are placed throughout the facility on walls, doors, windows, etc., so that when correctional officers scan these barcodes with their handheld scanner it will show up on their computer screen at their desk which will tell them what cell the inmate is located in and if there is any information about that inmate such as if he/she is considered high risk or high profile. This allows correctional officers to know exactly where each inmate is located at all times without having to walk through each cell block or area of the facility.
However, barcodes are not foolproof for safety rounds
While barcodes can streamline the process of using paper logs to monitor inmates, it is not a foolproof system. In many correctional facilities, correctional officers can easily take pictures of the barcodes for the inmates. They bring their phones back to their desk and then use the scanner to scan to picture of the barcode on their phones, instead of physically visiting each cell. By doing so, correctional officers avoid checking on inmates but this is not apparent with the barcode system. The use of barcodes risks inmate safety and the violation of various state laws and requirements regarding observation checks and safety rounds. Correctional facilities need a system that is quicker and simpler than paper logs, but does not allow for loopholes.
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