2008 Starts With ACA Winter Conference
GRAPEVINE, Texas — Nearly 3,000 justice professionals, correctional officers and public safety personnel and more than 270 vendors gathered at the American Correctional Association’s winter conference. Located at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center, the conference was held from Jan. 11 to Jan. 16 and offered more than 100 workshops on healthcare, staffing and sustainable design in the correctional industry.
“We’ve been doing this show for more than 15 years,” says Terry Mullins, of Montgomery Technologies Inc. “Sometimes the show is good but the traffic is not. Even if the quantity isn’t there, the quality of the contacts is always there. It’s a great way for us to see all of our vendors in one room. You end making friends here.”
Joe McKenna, of Oldcastle Security, had similar thoughts.
“We go to eight to 12 shows a year and the ACA is the best one,” McKenna says. “The attendance is terrific and it gives us a good chance to interact and deal with the decision makers, not only in a trade show environment but also a social environment.”
Congressman Danny Davis of Illinois spoke during the opening general session for conference attendees. He addressed issues involving the growing inmate population in the United States , the need to reduce recidivism, inmate rights and other criminal justice issues.
Here are some product highlights from the trade show exhibit hall:
Restraint System
Restraint System Technologies introduced an MRI-safe version of its Grip Restraint System, a soft restraint with patented buckle system and fully encapsulated lock. The company modified the stainless steel buckle and eliminated all magnetic properties from the system.
The system allows transportation officers to keep an inmate in restraints during MRIs, which can increase safety for hospital staff, officers and the general public. It is designed to reduce injuries in inmate transportation and is ideal for restraining juveniles, pregnant patients and prisoners with other health issues.
Contact Restraint System Technologies
Visit www.griprestraints.com
Security Fence
Payne Fence Products offers custom-designed fences for correctional facilities, including the Guardian Fence System. It is a modular fence system that features anti-cut and anti-climb physical security barrier. Customers can choose from a wide range of rigid metal meshes to construct their fence. Partitions and roof enclosures are also available, and the system is ideal for retrofitting existing fences.
Contact Payne Fence Products
Visit www.paynefence.com
Security Van
Bob Barker manufacturers the Van Cell, a prisoner transport system that can carry up to 11 inmates at a time and be installed in most cargo vans. The product features powder-coated steel, bolt-together construction and secured locking mechanisms. It features a side-step for entering and exiting the van, a GPS tracking system for speed monitoring, activity tracking, text messaging, Internet access and an isolation chamber to segregate inmates. The van cell also has storage units that can only be accessed by officers and LED lighting throughout the unit.
Contact Bob Barker
Visit www.vancell.com