Inmates to be tamed in Minnesota prison using RFID

Filed in archive Implementation on June 21, 2007

crime rate is on the rise around the globe and so is number of inmates in the prison. One needs to take care of the fact that prisons are not increasing at the same rate as the increase in the number of criminals which results in more prisoners that a particular prison can handle. As a result keeping a watch on the activities of the inmates within the prison compound becomes an extremely arduous task.

Now Minnesota Correctional Facility in Lino Lakes is using RFID to keep a watch on the inmates in its thirteen hundred inmate capacity prison. This RFID inmate tracking system is expected to lower the burden on the prison staff since inmates would be aware of the fact that a strict watch would kept on them using the system and this would deter them from indulging in uncalled for behavior during their stay in the prison. The staff would be able to take a sigh of relief and perform other activities such as dug sweeps with much ease now.

Here active RFID tags are being used to keep a tab on the inmates. The prisoners get RFID embedded wrist straps on their wrists and guards are handed pager like devices which keeps them informed through strategically placed terminals and allows them to act swiftly in case of events such as gang fights which is a common activity in prisons. This system is expected to end all illegal activities in prison. If inmates think that they can go undetected by taking off the strap then they should be told that in case the strap comes off the rules based software would detect it within split second. The system is expected to be operational by the end of July in the prison.