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It was less than 70 years ago For the law ways to care for its incarcerated
when the first ballistic vest was population. Jails are micro-cities
worn by peace officers and radar independently functioning inside
became available for traffic enforcement larger communities. They have
enforcement. Portable police their own governance, healthcare,
radios first appeared with the kitchens, education, and issues with
British police in 1969. These items industry—jails safety like any other city. However,
became basic tools in everyday the responsibility falls on the larger
police activities. But what of our community to ensure that medical
jails? What advances have changed in particular— technologies available outside
detention settings over the last few the jail system are also available
decades? inside it.
Portable radios, card reader societal demands, Working in tandem with
electronic doors, and better safety healthcare providers to build and
equipment have been integrated funding, and use advances in applied medical
into daily life in detention centers. technology will pay dividends both
Jail population needs and their for the incarcerated population and
medical and mental health issues, advances in the society into which they will
versus medical advances in the eventually reenter. The best way
private sector, show a different forward is to ensure that jails are
story. This article discusses the technology create not the last industry to adapt new
needs of inmates that are not medical technology; but be at the
being met. Unlike advances in forefront of change. With that goal
other disciplines, tools cannot be new challenges in mind, jail managers need to:
developed fast enough for a jail’s • consider wearable technology for
medical staff to accomplish their health monitoring,
mission efficiently and safely. constantly. • use of artificial intelligence
What we need is a “Star Trek” that to monitor inmates in those
sparks the imagination for the next facilities, and
generation of safe, humane, and We have already seen a change
responsible jails. in the types of crime throughout • take a serious look at their
our generation in the areas of fraud current facility deficits to create
a detention process that is truly
Consequences of Future Crime through the use of the internet. 21st century.
Rebecca Wickes (2020) once said, These types of crimes didn’t exist
“Crime is the perennial human a hundred years ago. The bottom
virus for which there is no vaccine.” line is that humans are the variable, To Explore Strange New
Let’s be honest. Human nature and what is acceptable behavior Technologies
and free will ensure that crime will be determined by the majority. So much can go wrong from the
will never disappear. As illegal What is not acceptable behavior onset of arrest to transportation to a
activity continues into the next will be illegal, and lawmakers will county jail. Therefore, our first step
century, the responsibility to care determine the consequences of is to develop and use new ways to
for these criminals once they are those actions. At the crux of that combat our weaknesses and make
booked into our jails will remain. reality is once the police and courts improvements in these areas. Rather
Crime—or what is considered a take away someone’s liberty, there than add more equipment for the
crime—evolves as new technology is a responsibility to care for that officer to maintain, we can integrate
is developed. Horse thievery used person: mental, medical, shelter, technology into tools already in use.
to be a more prevalent issue, and it and more while they are in the
was replaced by bicycle and auto custody of the state. Wearable Devices
theft as these became our main For the law enforcement Wearable technology exists and
transportation. What we may see industry—jails in particular— is readily available in the form
in the future is theft of transporters societal demands, funding, and of smart watches, like the Apple
if you allow yourself to imagine advances in technology create Watch or Fitbit. Imagine a wearable
a time where there is no longer a new challenges constantly. It is device that monitors an arrestee’s
need for a personal automobile as a imperative that the justice system heart rate and “speaks” to the
means of transportation. continues to develop better patrol car through a mobile data

32 | JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2022 AMERICANJails