Washington State Department of Corrections Biometrically Processes Over 300,000 Offender Reports per
10 to 15 Minutes Saved per Report – State Saves 50,000+ Hours per Year
March 23, 2004
Washington State Department of Corrections Biometrically Processes Over 300,000 Offender Reports per Year with Schlage Recognition Systems HandReaders
10 to 15 Minutes Saved per Report – State Saves 50,000+ Hours per Year
CAMPBELL, CALIF. – March 23, 2004 – Schlage Recognition Systems, the biometric Access Control component of Ingersoll Rand’s Security Technologies Electronic Control Systems, today announced that the Washington State Department of Corrections uses its HandKey biometric readers in over 70 kiosks located in all Department of Corrections (DOC) field offices statewide and most community outstations. The system receives over 26,000 reports per month. All five DOC regions have at least one location that receives more than 1,000 reports per month with the Seattle Metro office producing 1,600 reports. Approximately 45,000 offenders are required to report on a regular schedule or when they change addresses or employment. It is believed to be the largest fully implemented system of its kind.
“Biometrics are used because the Department needs to verify that this information is coming directly from the offender,” explains Norm Harrison, GENIE project manager for the DOC. “During the course of testing and undergoing an extensive pilot project, we tried several types of biometrics. When we deployed kiosks statewide, we went to the HandKey based primarily on its ease of use. We experience fewer false negatives with this system than with other biometrics we tested.” (A false negative occurs when an authorized individual cannot access the system.)
By verifying themselves via HandKey readers, felony offenders on supervision can then simply update their address, phone number and employment information using a touch screen monitor. This system saves the supervising officer time in processing paperwork and inputting computer data.
“It is estimated that each kiosk report saves an officer ten to 15 minutes in processing paperwork and computer entries,” Harrison reports. “This allows a single officer to monitor a large caseload of low-risk offenders.” A few minutes per each offender means a tremendous savings to the state. The system saves the Seattle office over 250 hours per month. Statewide it is estimated that over 50,000 hours are saved each year by using Schlage Recognition Systems Handreaders.
According to Harrison, high-risk offenders are also instructed to report. Daily kiosk reporting is often used as a sanction. Transient offenders are instructed to report frequently regarding their living arrangements. Unemployed offenders must report employment searches. These increased contacts provide valuable offender monitoring updates, allowing officers to spend greater time providing direct services and monitoring the highest risk offenders.
“This system has been installed statewide for the past four years,” Harrison adds. “During that time, we have not had any significant damage caused by offenders since they view this reporting status as a privilege and appreciate the quickness and ease of their check-in reports. Also, after hundreds of thousands of reports, we have yet to have a HandKey fail or need replacement.”
The system is easy to use. When offenders report to a kiosk, they enter their DOC number on the HandKey keypad and then place their right hand within the HandKey to confirm their identity. This gives them access to a touchscreen monitor and keyboard with which they update their address, phone number and employment information. They also answer standard questions related to their payment of financial obligations and other status. They also respond to questions posed by their assigned officer regarding conditions of supervision.
“We are initiating a project that will place kiosks in prisons,” Harrison says. “Inmates are entitled access to a vast amount of information which must be delivered to them directly by staff in a manner that precludes the possibility of other inmates intercepting the material. The task of delivering this information falls to staff throughout the facilities, diverting them from providing other essential services.
“Using kiosks with HandKey biometrics will allow the institutions to provide this routine information without direct staff involvement and let staff concentrate on more meaningful interventions.”
About Schlage Recognition Systems
With over 75,000 hand geometry units throughout the world reading millions of hands each day, Schlage Recognition Systems, founded in 1986, is the pioneer of hand recognition technology used in access control, time and attendance and identification applications. The company is the world sales leader of biometric verification devices and serves an international clientele from its headquarters in Campbell, Calif. The hand geometry website is www.handreader.com. Phone is 408-341-4100. Schlage Recognition Systems is the biometric Access Control component of Ingersoll Rand’s Security Technologies Electronic Control Systems. The Ingersoll-Rand website is www.irco.com.
-30-
For more information…
Bill Spence Tom Brigham
IR RECOGNITION SYSTEMS BRIGHAM SCULLY
408-341-4100 818-716-9021
bill_spence@irco.com tbrigham@brighamscully.com
10 to 15 Minutes Saved per Report – State Saves 50,000+ Hours per Year
CAMPBELL, CALIF. – March 23, 2004 – Schlage Recognition Systems, the biometric Access Control component of Ingersoll Rand’s Security Technologies Electronic Control Systems, today announced that the Washington State Department of Corrections uses its HandKey biometric readers in over 70 kiosks located in all Department of Corrections (DOC) field offices statewide and most community outstations. The system receives over 26,000 reports per month. All five DOC regions have at least one location that receives more than 1,000 reports per month with the Seattle Metro office producing 1,600 reports. Approximately 45,000 offenders are required to report on a regular schedule or when they change addresses or employment. It is believed to be the largest fully implemented system of its kind.
“Biometrics are used because the Department needs to verify that this information is coming directly from the offender,” explains Norm Harrison, GENIE project manager for the DOC. “During the course of testing and undergoing an extensive pilot project, we tried several types of biometrics. When we deployed kiosks statewide, we went to the HandKey based primarily on its ease of use. We experience fewer false negatives with this system than with other biometrics we tested.” (A false negative occurs when an authorized individual cannot access the system.)
By verifying themselves via HandKey readers, felony offenders on supervision can then simply update their address, phone number and employment information using a touch screen monitor. This system saves the supervising officer time in processing paperwork and inputting computer data.
“It is estimated that each kiosk report saves an officer ten to 15 minutes in processing paperwork and computer entries,” Harrison reports. “This allows a single officer to monitor a large caseload of low-risk offenders.” A few minutes per each offender means a tremendous savings to the state. The system saves the Seattle office over 250 hours per month. Statewide it is estimated that over 50,000 hours are saved each year by using Schlage Recognition Systems Handreaders.
According to Harrison, high-risk offenders are also instructed to report. Daily kiosk reporting is often used as a sanction. Transient offenders are instructed to report frequently regarding their living arrangements. Unemployed offenders must report employment searches. These increased contacts provide valuable offender monitoring updates, allowing officers to spend greater time providing direct services and monitoring the highest risk offenders.
“This system has been installed statewide for the past four years,” Harrison adds. “During that time, we have not had any significant damage caused by offenders since they view this reporting status as a privilege and appreciate the quickness and ease of their check-in reports. Also, after hundreds of thousands of reports, we have yet to have a HandKey fail or need replacement.”
The system is easy to use. When offenders report to a kiosk, they enter their DOC number on the HandKey keypad and then place their right hand within the HandKey to confirm their identity. This gives them access to a touchscreen monitor and keyboard with which they update their address, phone number and employment information. They also answer standard questions related to their payment of financial obligations and other status. They also respond to questions posed by their assigned officer regarding conditions of supervision.
“We are initiating a project that will place kiosks in prisons,” Harrison says. “Inmates are entitled access to a vast amount of information which must be delivered to them directly by staff in a manner that precludes the possibility of other inmates intercepting the material. The task of delivering this information falls to staff throughout the facilities, diverting them from providing other essential services.
“Using kiosks with HandKey biometrics will allow the institutions to provide this routine information without direct staff involvement and let staff concentrate on more meaningful interventions.”
About Schlage Recognition Systems
With over 75,000 hand geometry units throughout the world reading millions of hands each day, Schlage Recognition Systems, founded in 1986, is the pioneer of hand recognition technology used in access control, time and attendance and identification applications. The company is the world sales leader of biometric verification devices and serves an international clientele from its headquarters in Campbell, Calif. The hand geometry website is www.handreader.com. Phone is 408-341-4100. Schlage Recognition Systems is the biometric Access Control component of Ingersoll Rand’s Security Technologies Electronic Control Systems. The Ingersoll-Rand website is www.irco.com.
-30-
For more information…
Bill Spence Tom Brigham
IR RECOGNITION SYSTEMS BRIGHAM SCULLY
408-341-4100 818-716-9021
bill_spence@irco.com tbrigham@brighamscully.com
