BI2 Supplies Biometrics to Virginia Sheriff’s Office

NORFOLK, Va. — The Norfolk Sheriff’s Department awarded a contract to Biometric Intelligence & Identification Technologies to provide an iris-scan identification system that will be used to authenticate inmate identities.

Massachusetts-based BI2’s Inmate Recognition and Identification System will help Norfolk Sheriff’s Department, which handles about 30,000 inmates annually, ensure accuracy and efficiency in the processing and tracking of inmates from intake through release, officials say.
Iris recognition technology positively determines the identity of an individual by capturing a high-resolution digital image of the iris, which, unlike physical features, does not change with age, experts say.

Biometric software creates and stores a map of the iris’ minute ridges and valleys for future comparison. An inmate’s identity can be verified within seconds using an iris-scanning device.
The technology can differentiate an individuals’ left eye from their right and distinguish between identical twins, experts say.

Prior to the implementation of I.R.I.S., Norfolk deputies relied on photographs and questioning to verify the identity of inmates. In 2006, one inmate posed as another and escaped — the inmate was captured soon after, officials say.

The Sheriff’s Department allocated approximately $30,000 toward the purchase and implementation of I.R.I.S., officials say.