Social-distancing protocols and stay-at-home orders have impacted the way the world functions. Internet services have seen rises in usage from 40% to 100% and video-conferencing services have seen a ten times increase in usage since the onset of COVID-19, demonstrating just how important it is for companies to stay at the forefront of new innovative technology.
What does this mean for community corrections? Not only has the pandemic prevented community supervision officers from meeting clients in person, but it has also increased caseloads as more individuals are being released on probation and parole. As cities, counties, and states continue to navigate the challenges presented by the pandemic, BI Incorporated remains dedicated to providing agencies with quality innovative smartphone monitoring technology and administrative support services to stay efficient and connected.
Smartphone Monitoring Apps
The issue paper released by the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) technology committee, “Leveraging the Power of Smartphone Applications to Enhance Community Supervision,” addresses the positive impact that smartphone applications have on the community supervision process.
“Leveraging the power inherent in today’s smartphones, these applications offer a highly flexible tool designed to support a wide variety of supervision objectives depending on the needs of the case. For example, accountability objectives can be achieved through features such as location monitoring, remote reporting, or check-ins. Behavioral change objectives can be facilitated through instant communications with the officer, providing the client with timely access to resources such as programming, and therapeutic counseling via tele-presence.”
Administrative Solutions
Research Triangle Institute (RTI) International and Old Dominion University conducted a study on probation and parole officers’ time expenditure and found that about 52% of an officer’s work hours were spent on administrative case-related tasks. With growing caseloads, centralized data and streamlined case management are vital to keeping communities safe and officers efficient.
Strengthening Communities Through Innovation
Available through OMNIA Partners, Public Sector, BI Incorporated offers government agencies a complete continuum of reliable electronic monitoring technologies and services for low- to high-risk community-based offenders. Electronic monitoring is a safe, cost-effective, and efficient way to monitor offenders as they live and work in the community.
For more than 40 years, BI Incorporated has delivered innovative products and services that offer an alternative to incarceration for community corrections agencies supervising parolees, probationers, or pretrial defendants.
Branscombe M. The New Stack; 2020. The network impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic.https://thenewstack.io/the-network-impact-of-the-global-covid-19-pandemic/
