Does Our Jail Need to Interface GUARDIAN RFID with Our JMS?

A common question among jails considering GUARDIAN RFID technology to help with their inmate tracking needs is: Do I need to interface Command Cloud with our jail management system? This question often arises from concerns about the cost and complexity of the interfacing effort. 

Some public safety software vendors (ISVs) offer a favorable balance between licensing costs and implementation effort, making integration easy and affordable. However, others can be more challenging and costly to work with. The view from the high road is better, so we’ll exercise copious amounts of diplomacy and not name names.

So, the questions of: Do I need to interface GUARDIAN RIFD with my JMS? is answered in our best Matthew McConaughey voice: “It’d be a lot cooler if you did.” While interfacing isn’t strictly necessary, less than .0016% of our entire Warrior user community does not interface with their JMS. 

In this blog, we’ll cover why interfacing Command Cloud with your JMS is highly recommended.  Additionally, we’ll explore related questions, such as: 

• What are the key benefits of interfacing? 

• What are the drawbacks to interfacing? 

• What happens if I change jail management systems? 

• How does GUARDIAN RFID support interfacing with my JMS? 

• Who’s responsible for supporting the interface? 

From here on out, we’re going to talk about interfacing Command Cloud, the officer experience platform (OXP), with your jail management system.

What are the Key Benefits of Interfacing? 

There are two key benefits to interfacing Command Cloud with your jail management system (JMS):

1. Enhanced Data Collection and Reporting 

By interfacing Command Cloud with your JMS, you maximize the value of your enterprise software. This integration allows Command Cloud to capture detailed data on your inmate population, enabling comprehensive features like inmate-specific observation checks, automated headcounts (both formal and informal), tracking out-of-cell movements, and so much more. 

2. Increased Automation Saves Time and Adds Value 

Consider the scenario where you choose not to interface Command Cloud with your JMS and instead opt to manually book inmates into Command Cloud. While this is a standard feature primarily used as a contingency plan (e.g., when the JMS goes offline for maintenance), it can lead to inefficiencies.

If your average daily count is under 30, the manual process may seem manageable since you’re only booking a few inmates a day. We’d still advise against it, but maybe you found yourself in a transitional phase between jail management systems and deferred the decision to interface until your new JMS is operational.

However, if your daily count reaches 300 or 3,000, not interfacing is impractical.  You’re booking enough inmates daily that interfacing is necessary – not a luxury. Your staff would be expending too much time and effort on duplicative, redundant efforts.

What are the Negatives of Interfacing? 

For some jails, the cost of interfacing can be a significant barrier and the primary downside to interfacing in the first place. While GUARDIAN RFID does not charge for one-way interfaces (we treat one-way interfaces as a standard feature), your JMS vendor may charge both a one-time fee and a recurring annual support fee. 

What can these costs look like? 

While GUARDIAN RFID has no responsibility for interfacing costs - since these are fees determined by your JMS vendor - we’ve seen fee structures ranging from $1,500 per year to over $50,000 for a standard, one-way interface. 

In some cases, interfacing your jail management system with GUARDIAN RFID may not require any costs or fees. For example. if you use Motorola Flex (formerly Spillman), our integration team can build this interface for you or alongside your IT team at no charge. This is possible because Flex has an XML query server that allows us to build and deploy what we need without involving the Motorola Flex team. We even have an entire blog dedicated to GUARDIAN RFID and our Spillman Technologies interfacing effort. 

It’s important to note that this no-cost approach to interfacing with Motorola Flex isn’t an endorsement of their JMS. However, from a pure integration standpoint, we view it as a wise decision by Spillman. Many other vendors seem to hold your data hostage to excessive interfacing fees, which we believe infringes on choice and innovation. 

What if I Change Jail Management Systems? 

Let’s say you deploy Command Cloud, and ten months later, you’re implementing a brand-new jail management system. In this situation, all teams involved – from our implementation team to your staff – should have already set a plan in motion, including clear communication about the cutover date weeks in advance. 

It's easy for our implementation team to redirect your new interface, especially when we have a known end date for the current JMS and clear communication about the cutover date. One thing we want to emphasize is the importance of telling us that you’re moving to a new JMS ahead of the the day of cutover. While we can prioritize this task on an emergent basis if necessary, we recommend providing at least 30 days' notice to maximize quality and ensure a smooth, timely interface cutover. 

How Does Command Cloud Support Interfacing with my JMS? 

Command Cloud supports several methods for interfacing with your JMS, with our preferred approach being WolfPack API. 

WolfPack serves as the REST API layer of Command Cloud. REST APIs are lightweight and fast, making integration more efficient. Your IT teams and JMS vendors can build interfaces using our WolfPack API at no cost. For example, the IT team at Gaston County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina successfully created an interface between Tyler Odyssey, their jail management system, and Command Cloud in just one afternoon by using the WolfPack API.  

For jails and agencies with limited IT resources, we also support alternative interfacing methods, including flat files uploaded via sFTP, stored procedures, and other options. 

As the inmate tracking leader, GUARDIAN RFID has numerous native integrations with nearly every jail management system in the United States. No matter what JMS you use, we’re confident there’s an interfacing solution for you. If you’re curious about whether GUARDIAN RFID interfaces with your JMS, please check out our list of integration partners.

Who’s Responsible for Supporting the Interface? 

Sometimes, an interface may stop performing for a few reasons – namely, a temporary loss of Internet. However, we use 24/7 monitoring tools that essentially provide real-time insights into the health of your Command Cloud services, allowing us to often detect service interruptions before you do.

In addition, we publish the health of all Command Cloud services at https://status.commandcloud.com/. 

Interfacing with your jail management system is an important consideration in your investment in GUARDIAN RFID. Whether you operate a small, medium, or large metropolitan jail system, we recommend that you interface Command Cloud with your JMS. If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to contact us for complimentary advisory support based on our two decades of experience.