How to Build an Inmate Identification Wristband

Implementing an inmate identification method helps officers track inmate movement, activities, and interactions accurately. Whether it’s a name tag, ID card, or wristband, all identification methods should be unique enough that no officer should ever question the individual identity of each inmate. Luckily, GUARDIAN RFID wristbands are encrypted with a unique identifier to ensure that no inmate can be associated with more than one RFID wristband at a time. 

The difference between inmate identification wristbands and other identification methods is that, in theory, inmates should not be able to remove the wristbands. Whereas, with ID cards or name tags, inmates can remove them and increase the risk of losing or misusing them. RFID wristbands, however, include the inmate's mugshot with a label of pertinent information about the inmate as well as an RFID chip for scanning and tracking.

If this is a route that your agency is, or would eventually be, interested in, this is a helpful resource to put in your back pocket. This blog walks through the simple how-to steps of making an inmate identification wristband yourself by using GUARDIAN RFID’s Command Cloud.

1. Take the Inmate’s Mugshot

If an inmate’s mugshot already exists, that’s excellent! You can jump ahead to the next step after confirming the mugshot is uploaded in Mission Command. 

First, ensure the inmate is officially booked and housed in your JMS. If this process was just completed, wait three to five minutes to ensure everything is caught up to speed. Then, use your SPARTAN to log into Mission Command. The screen should look like the screenshot below:

Once logged in, confirm the inmate is in the GUARDIAN RFID site via the Population tab. Using Mobile XR on the SPARTAN, go to the Inmate Profile module and click the Population button. Find the search bar located at the top of the screen and type the inmate’s name. Select the inmate and click Continue.

Tap the Take a Mugshot button and notice the camera appears on the screen. Move close to the inmate and raise the device at eye level to make sure the shape of the inmate’s face aligns with the gridlines of the headshot frame. Click OK to take the photo, then click Save. Within about thirty seconds, that photo will be uploaded to the Mission Command website.

2. Print Label

After the image process is complete and it has been entered into Mission Command, view the sidebar menu on the left-hand side and find Reports. After selecting Reports, select Wristband Report. Locate the search bar at the top of the screen and either manually type in the inmate’s name or click the drop-down arrow to view all inmates in a centralized view. Once the specific inmate is located, confirm the booking number is correct and is beside the inmate’s name. 

Next, select Apply Filters and click PDF. The PDF should open in your default PDF reader, but will also appear in your Downloads folder. Locate the printer icon and click it. Confirm that the correct Color Label 500 printer is selected, and click Print. Once the label completes printing, tear off the label in an upward direction at the perforated line.

3. Assemble

Once the inmate's image is taken and the label is printed, it’s time to assemble your wristband.  Start with locating your box of wristbands and tearing one off from the sheet. Open the plastic fold in the wristband and place the printed label inside of the fold, facing out so the inmate’s profile is visible from the outside of the wristband. Now that the label has been added, it’s time to add the RFID chip.

Carefully take the RFID chip WITHOUT BENDING IT and place it behind the label, ensuring it is not visible from the outside of the wristband. Then, using either your fingers or tools, try to balance the label and RFID chip as close as possible to the center of the fold. This will secure a better seal along the edges. Additionally, if wristbands are consistently assembled with the RFID chip in this location, staff will know exactly where on the wristband to scan with their SPARTAN devices. 

Please note that any damage made to the RFID chip during this process can effectively ruin it, so it’s important to complete this process slowly and precisely.

4. Activate

To activate the inmate identification wristband, the first step is logging into the Mission Command website with your credentials. Then, click the Population tab and locate the specific inmate by either scrolling through the population list or by using the dynamic search boxes.

Click the Edit button for the specific inmate under the Action column. A new page will then appear with the inmate’s biographical information. Ensure that the Enter RFID field located in the bottom right corner of the screen is highlighted. Place the wristband over the Wave ID reader until you hear an audible beep sound. After the 17-character RFID value automatically populates, click Save.

5. Laminate

To seal the wristband and extend its longevity, laminate the wristband. First, locate the laminator, turn on the green power switch, and wait 3-5 minutes for the laminator to heat up. The orange motor button will light up when it has reached the correct temperature. Please note that if the laminator is not at the correct temperature, the wristband will NOT seal properly.  It’s a best practice to start the laminator temperature at 325 degrees. 

Turn on the orange switch to activate the motor, place the assembled wristband inside the white cardboard laminator sleeve, and confirm it’s flush with the sleeve case. Remember to never place an unlaminated wristband into the rolling laminator without the sleeve as it WILL DAMAGE THE LAMINATOR. Place the sleeve into the laminator with the crease first and wait for the sleeve to automatically feed all the way through. Once all the wristbands are complete, turn off the orange switch to deactivate the motor. 

When the wristband comes out of the laminator, do not touch the band for about five seconds as it will be extremely hot. If the temperature continues to be too hot for more than 30 seconds, or if it looks like the clear coating of the wristband is damaged, chances are the laminator is too hot. Conversely, if the wristband isn’t too hot to touch or remains hot for only a second, the laminator may not be set to the correct temperature. 

6. Fasten

After the wristband is laminated, the next step is to fasten the wristband with either a metal or plastic fastener (metal is recommended as best practice). To do this, start by having the inmate fully extend their wrist from a safe distance. Before wrapping the wristband around the inmate’s wrist, note that it’s a best practice to place wristbands on the same wrist of all inmates so they remain consistent. 

When wrapping the wristband around the inmate’s wrist, ensure that the label is facing out. Once the wristband is around the inmate's wrist, adjust it as tightly as you would with handcuffs. The wristband should not be so loose that it can be MacGyvered to squeeze over an inmate’s knuckles. 

Locate the fastener before lining up the nearest holes on the wristband. Note that the metal fastener comes in two pieces, one fork-shaped, and the other flat. Slide the fork-shaped end of the fastener between the inmate's wrist and the wristband with the prongs poking through the holes. Then, place the flat-shaped end over the prongs with the wristband sandwiched between them. Use the metal crimping pliers to crimp the metal fasteners together (this step is unnecessary if you're using plastic fasteners). 

7. Enforce

Now that the wristband is successfully assembled and fastened to the inmate, it’s up to the officers to enforce rules to optimize the ID's success. Maximizing the lifespan of wristbands saves time and energy while simultaneously saving a considerable amount of money by not constantly reordering materials. Just like how investing in the quality materials that make up an RIFD wristband pushes the longevity of its lifespan, so does the amount of tampering an inmate may try to apply to a wristband. 

It’s a best practice for an agency to instill strong disciplinary actions toward inmates who try to rip, bend, or remove their wristbands. Staff are encouraged to enforce consequences for these actions such as limiting access to commissary, recreation, or phone calls. Of course, each facility has its own set of unique characteristics, so staff should know what strategic consequences would be most effective for their distinct inmate population. 

GUARDIAN RFID takes pride in assisting correctional warriors across the nation in their pursuit of logging inmate activities faster and more accurately. Guardian RFID wristbands are essential in tracking inmates' activities, like meals, recreation, and program attendance. They also monitor interactions and provide important services such as transportation and medication distribution. To learn more about wristbands or how GUARDIAN RFID can assist your facility in any capacity, please reach out.