Why Three Jail Administrators Switched From Guard Tour to GUARDIAN RFID

Ok, so you’re looking for solution to a basic problem: you want to finally automate your security rounds. Maybe it’s because you’re tired of accumulating and storing boxes full of paper – and burning hours of valuable time by searching for information the old fashioned way. Maybe it’s concern over staff compliance and accountability. Or maybe it’s because the system you bought in the late 90s or early 2000s was the cat’s meow at the time, but it’s high time for a technology refresh.

Whatever your motivation, it’s important to know you’re in good company. Here are some common reasons why these jail administrators chose GUARDIAN RFID over a traditional guard tour system.

Nick Shimmel – Jail Administrator, Otoe Co. Sheriff’s Office (Nebraska City, NE)

“When I first became jail administrator at the age of 23, we had an iButton-based guard tour system. It worked ok. But it was extremely limited in the data it could capture. We had what was called a “wallet” that held a few extra rows of these silver buttons programmed for our use. But the whole setup was cumbersome. Staff had to hold the “wallet” and they had to hold this wand-like device. There were no free hands. And the data it captured really wasn’t that detailed or useful.

The first time we saw GUARDIAN RFID, we knew instantly that this would be a major step forward for us. It was platform that was light years ahead. And it integrated with our jail management system. That ability in itself was a tremendous advantage, because now we weren’t logging data about just locations, but about people – the inmates in our care. Logging data about inanimate places isn’t particularly useful – especially in litigation matters.”

Clayton Edwards – Jail Administrator, White Co. Sheriff’s Office (Searcy, AR)

“I decided I needed to find something that I could rely on to keep up with 1.) My Jailer’s actions and interactions with the Inmates, 2.) Moves made with the Inmates, 3.) Items supplied to the Inmates and 4.) Anything else that could possibly be logged in reference to an Inmate and that is customizable to my specific needs. I knew that I wanted something technological so that the records could be kept up with digitally. I needed something more than just a “blue wand” to log a time. I also knew that I needed to find something out there that was established and on-the-ground running. I did not have the luxury of time and did not need the possibility of becoming a genie pig for new technology.”

Nick Whitmore, Jail Administrator, Hardin Co. Sheriff’s Office (Eldora, IA)

“We’ve had some significant incidents in the last ten years with one being a successful suicide and one being a serious attempted suicide. At the time of the successful suicide, we reviewed our practices, which obviously included records management and subsequently went with GUARDIAN RFID. At the time, we were recording our checks and activity within our jail management system. However, it was only as accurate as the person entering the information. Clearly, we were making checks and had excellent presence within the cell. However, our method of recording it didn’t articulate that anywhere close to what was actual. This became painfully obvious when we investigated the suicide and charted all aspects of it out. We could prove a lot more than we had written down.

We met with and ultimately entered into agreement with GUARDIAN RFID. I immediately felt a liking to GUARDIAN RFID because of the size of the company and their responsiveness. We had researched other companies and in fact had just installed an iButton system, but scrapped it immediately once GUARDIAN RFID came along. We have been with GUARDIAN RFID since their correctional inception and have watched them grow and become a significant player in the correctional community. The fact is that we still get the same personal, effective responsiveness every time I talk to any of their people.”