Corrections Telecommunication and Technology
F. Warren Benton, Ph.D.
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A primary function of computing in corrections is to provide access to information about offenders. A wide range of information is necessary, including criminal history, sentencing records, program and facility placement histories, behavioral and social history information, and specialized information such as medical, work, and treatment records.
Convenient and timely access to information has always been a critical factor determining the practical value of information systems. Some of the most important correctional work takes place in direct contact with the offender, whether the environment is a cellblock, medical clinic, or in the case of probation or parole, at the court or the offender's home or work site. Using computer-based records has always required that the correctional worker be tethered to the computer system. At worst, the information would be in a central office computer and the worker would be in a facility or field location without routine access. In better cases, the information might be accessible from a shared terminal or desktop computer in an office. In some cases, workers might be issued laptop computers, providing access to computing in the field, but providing access to records only in limited situations.
Correctional workers really need computers that deliver information and office services to the front lines -- to cell blocks, activity and service areas, courts, and to field sites. Many workers in other fields also need this kind of access, and therefore the information technology marketplace is responding with new products to meet the need. There are several approaches to work with.
This means that a probation officer would take a laptop along on field visits, making reports and entering updated information as the visits take place. If a district supervisor needed to contact an officer, an email could reach the laptop in seconds.
The speed of these wireless network connections is less than ideal, but adequate for many functions. A good review of speeds under field conditions is available at: Wireless Network Performance Test. If you are interested in more information about the actual products, the following are links to the web sites of some of the companies that manufacture the equipment:
Another class of devices that deserve attention are the Windows Compact Edition devices. A good technical review of Windows CE and devices that use it is at CEwindows.net. There are generally two classes of devices -- handheld laptops such as the Sharp Mobilon Tripad, and handheld devices such as the PalmPilot. These devices have long battery lives from 10 hours to several weeks or more, but the trade-off is that they do not run standard Microsoft windows applications, and they lack standard peripherals. They are intended to serve as extensions to desktop computers for specialized functions.
A handheld laptop running under Windows CE can function for around 10 hours on a battery charge. Windows CE includes "pocket" office applications such as a word processor, database, and spreadsheet program compatible with Microsoft Office applications. Software vendors also offer applications such as terminal emulators that may be needed to access mainframe record systems.
The most recent version of the PalmPilot also supports wireless network access. The PalmPilot is a small handheld device that supports many personal management functions such as a calendar. It could be programmed for use in correctional applications such as logging cell checks to tracking and counting offenders. I plan to devote a future column to PalmPilot applications for corrections. If your agency is using or planning to use a PalmPilot or similar device for a correctional function, please tell me about it at nbenton@jjay.cuny.edu and I may include it in the column. I expect that within 5 years, these devices will be as common as radios in correctional facilities and programs, simplifying many reporting and record-keeping functions.
Get Ready to Go Wireless
by F. Warren Benton,
Ph.D.
Copyright Corrections
Managers' Report, October/November 1999
Using the Cellular Telephone Network
The wireless telephone network can now be used for computer networking. A new technology called cellular digital packet data (CDPD) uses the cellular telephone network so that laptop computers and other portable computing devices can access the internet for email and web browsing. Rather than making a cellular telephone call, this technology sends information in data packets that are similar to those already used by the wired internet. Sierra Wireless is one company making the PCMCIA cards that fit into the credit-card sized slots on the side of laptop computers. Their web site is Wireless Services. Prices are also likely to decline as competition increases. For example, currently on the east cost, unlimited service costs about $40 per month on a multi-year contract.Creating Your Own Wireless Network
New devices have also come to market that make it possible to develop a secure wireless network at a correctional facility or office. A small device with an antenna is attached to the "hub" of the local computer network, and it extends the physical local area network so that additional wireless devices can be included. About a dozen companies offer competing equipment that are based on the IEEE 802.11 wireless media specification. Two articles available on the Internet provided introductory and technical information about the specification:
Generally the core transmitter costs $500-$1,000, and each device receptor costs $200-$500. Receptors have been developed for desktop computers, laptops, and for handheld computing devices such as PalmPilots. The transmitters will broadcast from 250 to as much as 1,000 feet depending on conditions, and additional transmitters can be deployed around a site. The IEEE 802.11 standard includes a roaming capability, so that the transmitters repeat and synchronize to each other resulting in wireless access over a larger site. The standard also provides techniques for security of network access. Once the network is deployed, there is no periodic access fee since you are broadcasting to yourself. The radio spectrum used does not require regulatory approval or licensing. User Devices -- What to Connect to
Wireless access is great, but it is useless if you have to connect using a laptop that seems to be made of concrete, that takes 5 minutes to wake up, and that lasts for 45 minutes -- if you turn the screen off. Fortunately, there is progress on this front as well. Laptop computers are evolving to meet the challenge of field conditions. New models have approached or broken through the 3-pound barrier provided that the user does not need a cd-rom or other peripheral devices. Batteries are also improving so that 3 hours of real use on a battery is no longer an unrealistic expectation.