CTA Summit Allows for Technological Dialogue

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The Corrections Technology Association (CTA) held its 13th annual summit with sessions titled “Innovative Cross-Jurisdictional Data Sharing,” “Implementation Initiatives/Lessons Learned,” and “Solving Correctional Problems with Innovative Technologies.”

Workshops with practitioners and providers demonstrated technologies such as automated inmate entitlements tracking and video visitation.

The association is a public, nonprofit network of professionals in the corrections field. Since 1999, it has provided a forum to facilitate an exchange of knowledge and experience among agencies. It has led the development of standards and promoted sharing of systems and data across the country.

Held at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort from May 20 to 23, 2012, attendees learned about current technologies from a variety of sessions and speakers. In attendance, were 174 attendees and 34 corporate sponsors, an increase over CTA’s 2011 summit attendance.

Jay Gainsboro of JLG Technologies and Brendan Philbin of ICSolutions explained the technology behind a software that can detect covert activity on inmate telephone systems and put a stop to calls. The system, Inmate Communications Evaluations & Reporting (ICER), is now available to U.S. correctional agencies.

Renovo Software representatives argued that a multi-method approach to inmate visitation — Internet, face-to-face, on-premise and remote video visitation — helps reduce recidivism, decreases operational costs and generates more revenue.
The featured speaker was Scott Kernan, former undersecretary of operations for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Kernan began his career in 1983 as a correctional officer at California’s San Quentin State Prison. He has served as a policy-level decision maker for the 33 adult prisons, as chief deputy secretary and as primary spokesman for the department to the legislature and media.

“In these challenging budget times, now more than ever correctional and justice practitioners are looking to their business partners for creative solutions to solving correctional problems. Next year’s summit promises to be even bigger and better,” according to Leisa Rackelmann, president of the Corrections Technology Association.

CTA’s 2013 summit will be held at Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort in Phoenix from June 2 to 5. Corporate sponsorships are available and qualified speakers can submit proposals to CTA President Leisa Rackelmann, via email, at
president@correctionstech.org

Corrections Technology Association
www.correctionstech.org