National Survey Reveals Correctional Technology Priorities

DALLAS — Dallas-headquartered Securus Technologies — a leading provider of civil and criminal justice technology solutions for public safety, investigation, corrections and monitoring — last week announced the results of a national survey conducted at the company’s state-of-the-art, $1.5 million Technology Center. The survey showed that more than half of correctional facilities across the country are focusing on updating technology and expanding services in 2016 with a goal of improving productivity, profitability and inmate satisfaction, according to a statement by the company.

The survey found that 56 percent of the correctional facilities that responded to the survey plan to update their current technology, according to a statement by the company. Further, 55 percent of respondents reported that expanding services in their facilities was a key strategic focus for 2016. As respondents could choose more than one answer, another 15 percent said that cutting costs was their approach for success for 2016.

"With budgets under constant pressure, correctional leaders are focused on improving the productivity, safety and success of their facilities," said Richard Smith, chief executive officer of Securus Technologies, in a statement. "The good news is that our research indicates that there are big opportunities for agencies to automate operations, thereby freeing up operating cash flow and improving inmate satisfaction by collaborating with a company like Securus."

Sixty-six percent of survey respondents also reported that video visitation will be critical to their success in 2016, and 33 percent said the same of tablet devices, which the company called “a sign that facilities recognize the importance of productivity coupled with safety and inmate satisfaction,” in a statement. Also mentioned were investigative solutions, public safety software, contraband cell phone risk mitigation and an overall improvement in safety.

Securus currently serves approximately 3,450 public safety, law enforcement and corrections agencies and more than 1,200,000 inmates across North America by providing emergency response, incident management, public information, investigation, biometric analysis, communication, information management, inmate self-service, and monitoring products and services.