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RFID Bracelets to Track Inmates in L.A. County

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the nothing-unsettling-about-that-no-sir dept.

Roland Piquepaille writes "According to RFID Journal, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is about to launch a pilot program to track 1,800 inmates using RFID devices. If the test is successful, the technology will be deployed for the 18,000 inmates of the L.A. county jails. With this system, inmates carry a wrist bracelet which issues a signal every two seconds and is caught by RFID readers installed everywhere in the prison. Officers and staff also carry a RFID device attached to their belts. And a central server keeps track in real time of the position of all prisoners and guardians. Besides tracking locations, the system also intends to reduce violence within the jail and to avoid escapes. If this system works as its promoters think, the potential market to equip all federal, state and county jails in the U.S. exceeds $1 billion. This overview contains other details and references, including a picture of a wristwatch transmitter worn by inmates."

3 of 451 comments (clear)

  1. Wow, Groklaw's really gone downhill by GojiraDeMonstah · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    OK, before you mod me down, I was talking about the page header they seem to have stolen from Groklaw.

    --
    "Stop throwing the Constitution in my face, it's just a goddamned piece of paper!" - George W. Bush Nov. 2005
  2. Re:My rights? by DenmaFat · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    prisoners gave up many of their rights when they commited a crime against society - theft - murder - etc.

    That assumes that the various criminal justice systems in the land incarcerate only the guilty.

    --
    I love that donkey. Hell, I love everybody.
  3. Today it is inmates...tomorrow? by master_p · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    I'm surprised no /.er sees a trend:

    • US votes for national ID card.
    • UK votes for national ID card.
    • Passports are to contain biometric data.
    • Prison and jail inmates are tagged with RFID.
    • The VERIchip is advertised as cool, allowing entrance to high-profile clubs and other cool places. A US family (originating from a certain country in middle east) is the first to accept it.
    • A law is proposed so as that children are tagged by a high-tech device.

    One does not need a great deal of imagination to see the future: when we are born, we are implanted with a bio-electronic device that carries all our identification data, as well as our money. We will not be able to do anything without that. Tinfoil hat makers, rejoice!