Australian Prison Uses RFID
The building of the first prison in Australia’s Capital Territory (ACT) is 90% complete, and the authorities have inked a deal to use RFID for tracking.
The Alexander Maconochie centre is designed to function as an “open plan” prison, housing young offenders, male and female prisoners of varying degrees of security all within the same facility, without substantial physical security to separate each section or razor wire barriers. “Without this technology a prison without razor wire would be far more difficult to manage,” said ACT Corrective Services IT manager Andreas Wullen.
According to Wullen, prisoners will be fitted with an RFID bracelet upon entering the facility, enabling guards to track their location every two seconds if necessary. In a deal already exceeding AU$1 million, the RFID system will be used to monitor physical separation, and to control prisoners’ movements between various sections of the prison. Using this technology will provide prisoners with greater freedom of movement, allowing them to go to certain sections without being escorted,” said Wullen.
The system also has its uses for staff, who will be equipped with an RFID device fitted with an alarm for personal safety.
RFID inmate tracking is already used in a number of European countries including Sweden and the Netherlands, as well as US penitentiaries in Michigan, Illinois, and California.