Subject: [NEXTEL-1] justnetnews- November 21, 2002 - NLECTC News Summary

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 21 Nov 2002 12:34:36 -0500

NLECTC Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary
Thursday, November 21, 2002
***************************HEADLINES************************

"Critics Find Drawbacks to No-Contact Prison Visits" 

"Secret U.S. Court OKs Electronic Spying" 

"Detroit Police Considering Nonlethal Weapons" 

"Drugged-Up Drivers Hard to Convict" 

"Catching Auto Thieves in the Act" 

"Voice Identification Not a Precise Science" 

"With a Foot in Every Cellblock and a Hand on Every File" 

"House Considers Jailing Hackers for Life" 

"St. Johns Sheriff's Office Upgrades its Technology" 

"Internet Training Replaces Shackles" 

"DU Research Could Help DNA Testing in Criminal Cases" 

"New Crime Database" 

"Gwinnett County, Georgia Department of Corrections Decides
on Inmate Management Biometrics From SENSE Holdings, Inc." 

"Ballistics Lab Solves Cases" 

"Database Lets Police Share Crime Info" 

"Taking a Bite Out of Crime in Florida" 

"Using Scales in Photography" 

***************************ARTICLES*************************

"Critics Find Drawbacks to No-Contact Prison Visits" 
Philadelphia Inquirer (11/18/02) P. B3; Sigal, Peter 

While advocates for inmate rights may argue that prohibiting
physical contact between prisoners and their visitors will
cripple rehabilitation efforts, Buck County, Penn., director
of corrections Harris Gubernick says the new no-contact
policy is an effective way to shut down one source of
illegal contraband entering the prison. Denise Johnson, a
California physician and founder of the Center for Children
with Incarcerated Parents, which works nationwide to develop
services for the families of inmates, says no-contact
visitation undermines the prisoner's sense of identity and
belonging and inhibits the effectiveness of the prison
rehabilitation programs. The Pennsylvania state prison
system currently allows physical contact for most of its
40,000 inmates according to corrections spokesperson, Lisa
Aaron, and all 26 state prison facilities use
state-of-the-art drug-detection technology including the
controversial ion scanners, criticized for producing "false
positive" results. In Bucks County, however, the Prison
Oversight Board recently decided to permanently prohibit
contact after suspending it last fall following the death of
an inmate from a drug overdose which spawned a grand jury
investigation into widespread contraband smuggling. But
rather than calling for an end to contact-visitation
policies, the grand jury actually recommended better
enforcement, closer video surveillance, thorough searches of
visitors and the addition of weeknight visitation to ease
the weekend load on prison staff. However, Gubernick said
that because of the way the Bucks County facility is
constructed, the visitation room had to be partitioned off
with glass eliminating physical contact completely in order
to ensure the safety and security of staff and prisoners.
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/local/4544333.htm 

"Secret U.S. Court OKs Electronic Spying" 
CNet (11/18/02); McCullagh, Declan 

An earlier ruling from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance
Court declaring that domestic police agencies and spy
agencies must be separated in order to protect Americans'
privacy was overturned by the Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Court of Review, thus widening law
enforcement's authority to conduct electronic surveillance,
wiretapping, and secret searches against people suspected of
espionage and terrorism. When the lower court made its
ruling in May, Justice Department lawyers argued that the
enactment of the USA Patriot Act nullified the need for a
wall between local and federal law enforcement, and also
established that the types of monitoring authorized by the
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) could now be
carried out if terrorist or espionage acts represented a
"significant purpose" of investigations rather than the
primary purpose. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, who
requested the extension of powers, said the reversal will
help usher in a new period of collaboration between police
and federal agencies, and called it a "victory for liberty,
safety, and the security of the American people." The ACLU
and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
responded to the decision by filing friend-of-the-court
briefs recommending that the appeals court support the lower
court's ruling. "Because the FISA now applies to ordinary
criminal matters if they are dressed up as national security
inquiries, the new rules could open the door to
circumvention of the Fourth Amendment's warrant
requirements," warned Robert Levy of the Cato Institute.
"The result: rubber-stamp judicial consent to phone and
Internet surveillance, even in regular criminal cases, and
FBI access to medical, educational and other business
records that conceivably relate to foreign intelligence
probes." http://news.com.com/2100-1023-966311.html 

"Detroit Police Considering Nonlethal Weapons" 
Detroit Free Press (11/15/02); Schmitt, Ben 

The Detroit Police Department is now debating whether or not
it should begin using nonlethal weapons other than pepper
spray. Among the alternatives are rubber bullets,
retractable batons, and bean bag items that can be directed
at suspects at high speeds, notes Deputy Chief Pamela Evans.
She adds that pepper spray is currently the only weapon that
Motown officers carry other than their guns. The department
is reportedly discussing the matter with the U.S. Justice
Department, with a decision likely in early 2003. The
proposal comes during an ongoing civil rights investigation
of the department by the federal agency. Marge Parsons of
the Coalition Against Police Brutality has long complained
that the Detroit police too often regard the public as an
antagonist.
http://www.freep.com/news/locway/police15_20021115.htm 

"Drugged-Up Drivers Hard to Convict" 
Salt Lake Tribune (11/15/02) P. B4; Neff, Elizabeth 

In Utah and seven other states with strict drugged-driving
laws, drivers can be punished for even the slightest amount
of drugs in their system, according to a new study funded by
the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. However, prosecutors in
the remaining 42 states must prove that drug use caused
driving impairment. But drug use has no standard similar to
the .08 blood alcohol-level for drunk driving. According to
a report by The Walsh Group and the American Bar
Association's Standing Committee on Substance Abuse, Utah,
Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, and
Rhode Island have "zero-tolerance" drugged-driving laws. For
the remaining states, prosecutors may be helped by new drug
testing technology that offers results within minutes. The
tests can use urine, blood, or saliva samples. Furthermore,
Utah highway patrols received two weeks of training to make
it easier for them to detect signs of drug use. "People are
driving with drugs in their system who shouldn't be, and
under many laws, cannot be held accountable," says Jerry
Landau, a prosecutor for Maricopa County, AZ.
http://www.sltrib.com/ 

"Catching Auto Thieves in the Act" 
San Diego Union-Tribune (11/14/02) P. B1; Hughes, Joe 

Police in San Diego are leaving cars across the city that
are rigged with electronic devices that alert police when
someone breaks into them. After the thieves drive away,
remote control turns the car's engine off, doing away with
the chance of a dangerous pursuit. In addition, police can
lock the car's doors by remote, sealing thieves inside the
vehicle. A dozen individuals have been arrested to date this
year using these tools. As part of the anti-auto-thief
program, San Diego police work with technicians from
Satellite Security Systems, a private firm, in a 24-hour,
seven-days-a-week command facility in Hillcrest that is
equipped with computers, scanners, and electronic maps. The
decoy cars are rigged with an electronic tracing device,
known as the GlobalGuard, which is hooked onto the
undercarriage. After the car is broken into, the device
sends a silent signal to Hillcrest, and a satellite is
employed to follow the car, whose route is projected on a
color-coded street map. Police are then sent to catch the
thief.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20021114-9999_1m14bait.html 

"Voice Identification Not a Precise Science" 
Chicago Tribune (11/14/02) P. N28; Manier, Jeremy 

Experts say more investigation is needed to verify whether
an alleged tape from Osama bin Laden actually contains his
voice. Voice identification involves computer-based programs
as well as human examination. The latest software can
generate a voice profile using hundreds of recorded audio
samples. Since people's throats, noses, and mouths combine
to make unique audio waves, it is virtually impossible to
imitate another person's voice completely. At the Department
of Defense, experts say that ample recorded statements from
bin Laden will provide a good resource for voice
identification software. But the tapes will not be able to
verify whether bin Laden is alive, only whether the tape is
genuine or from a skilled impersonator, says Virage CTO
Bradley Horowitz. "This is best-case scenario, where we're
matching a long audio snippet against a well-established
library of other utterances," he explains. While computer
programs study the voiceprint pattern, human analysts look
for intonation, phrasing, frequently used words, and
regional variations.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0211140321nov14.story 

"With a Foot in Every Cellblock and a Hand on Every File" 
New York Times (11/14/02) P. G6; Morris, Bonnie Rothman 

Some officers at the Middleton, Mass.-based Essex County
Correctional Facility wear a 2.5-pound, $4,500 computer with
a foldable screen around their waists; the computer is
linked to the prison's new video system and allows officers
to view fights or other disruptions at the facility before
they arrive on the scene, enabling them to better prepare
and more effectively control the situation. Wearable
computers are currently used by FedEx airplane mechanics for
easy access to repair manuals and by military personnel.
Essex County officials say they are the first prison to
implement the technology, which was designed by manufacturer
Xybernaut, to improve safety and maintain order.
Correctional officers also use the computers to quickly
write and wirelessly file "use of force" reports, and they
could soon use the technology to download prisoners' medical
records and record "forced moves." The recording can later
be used in court if the prisoner were to file a complaint
about the use of force or as a training video for new
personnel.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/14/technology/circuits/14pris.html 

"House Considers Jailing Hackers for Life" 
CNet (11/13/02); McCullagh, Declan 

The Cyber Security Enhancement Act (CSEA) was bundled into
the proposed Department of Homeland Security bill the House
of Representatives passed on Wednesday. Under the CSEA,
hackers convicted of committing cybercrimes that
"recklessly" endanger the lives of others would be sentenced
to life imprisonment; Internet providers would be allowed to
"knowingly divulge" user activities if they are categorized
as critical to emergencies that could involve serious bodily
harm; law enforcement would be able to conduct Internet and
telephone eavesdropping without court orders if there is an
immediate threat to national security or an "ongoing attack"
on an Internet-linked computer; and both printed and online
ads for devices that are mainly used for clandestine
electronic surveillance would be banned. 

The House approved the CSEA back in July, but the Senate did
not. Supporters hope that its inclusion in the Homeland
Security bill will ensure its passage, although both Senate
and presidential approval is still required. 

Civil liberties advocates such as Electronic Privacy
Information Center director Marc Rotenberg argue that the
proposal will make ISPs more amenable to serving the
interests of law enforcement than consumer privacy.
Meanwhile, Democratic members of Congress claim that the
Homeland Security bill was rushed to the floor before they
could study it in detail. "I doubt more than 10 people in
Congress know [what's] in the bill," lamented Rep. Henry
Waxman (D-Calif.). http://news.com.com/2100-1001-965750.html 

"St. Johns Sheriff's Office Upgrades its Technology" 
Florida Times-Union (11/13/02) P. B1; Sundin, Shawna 

A $1.7 million two-part technology upgrade at the St. Johns
County Sheriff's Office included a tracing system that can
track emergency phone calls to within about 140 yards of the
caller's location, and a mapping grid and history of
incidents that pops up after the computer displays the phone
number and address of the call. Computers have also been
installed in patrol cars so that officers can check
information first-hand on a suspect, while a new cell phone
tracking system will allow police to pinpoint the location
of wireless callers to within 55 yards. Maj. Herbert
Greenleaf, deputy director of operations for support
services in the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, says he
anticipates that the technology upgrades will decrease the
average emergency response time to just four minutes. The
office hopes to have all patrol cars equipped with computers
by February, and to have transitioned to a silent dispatch
system by June. Deputies will receive calls through their
computers rather than over scanners, and also receive maps
of call locations and tapes of emergency calls.
http://www.jacksonville.com/ 

"Internet Training Replaces Shackles" 
Australian (11/12/02) P. C6; Whelan, Charles 

In South Korea, high-tech training is a basic part of prison
life for convicted criminals. All 38,000 of the country's
convicted criminals (out of a total of 62,000 prisoners)
receive training in word processing and the Internet, says
Kim Ahn-Sik, a spokesman for the Correction Bureau. Convicts
can also get additional training if they choose, and can
even earn college-equivalent diplomas. "If these inmates
leave jail without computer skills there is a higher chance
they will fail on the outside," says Justice Ministry
spokesman Oh Byong-Ju. South Korea's newest prison, Yeoju
Correctional Institution, features 160 computers distributed
within five computer labs. Moreover, shackles are no longer
used to humble the prisoners, the food is sufficient, and
the plumbing operates. In addition, prisoners now have a
right to visitations, telephone calls, and writing letters,
says the U.S. State Department, making the country on par
with international standards. The emphasis is on
rehabilitation, says Oh Byong-Ju.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/ 

"DU Research Could Help DNA Testing in Criminal Cases" 
Associated Press (11/12/02) 

Robby Shelton, a first-year doctoral candidate at the
University of Denver, and his mentor, Phil Danielson, are
collaborating with along with Denver police crime-lab
scientists to develop a new process that uses mitochondrial
DNA--DNA samples that are smaller and older than current
methods use--to identify suspects. In addition, since
mitochondrial DNA occurs more frequently in the cell than
other DNA types, the chances of finding a reliable sample
are much greater. The process could significantly reduce the
time and cost of analyzing DNA evidence in criminal
investigations, and could potentially find trace evidence in
almost every crime scene. "This really is probably the next
generation of forensic application of DNA and DNA
technology," declares Troy Kenning of the Denver National
Law Enforcement and Correction Technology Center.
http://www.ap.org/ 

"New Crime Database" 
Columbus Dispatch (11/11/02) P. 01B; Futty, John 

Ohio hopes to expand the number of state law-enforcement
agencies using the National Incident-Based Reporting System
(NIBRS) to 90 percent by 2005. The system currently only
covers about 30 percent of the state's population, but
Columbus, Canton, Cleveland, Toledo, and Youngstown are
expected to join Akron, Cincinnati, and Dayton in adopting
NIBRS next year. The FBI created the new reporting system
more than 10 years ago to replace the Uniform Crime Report
program, which has been in use since 1930. NIBRS keeps
statistics for 22 criminal offences compared to the Uniform
Crime Report, which tracks only eight offenses and only the
worse offense in cases involving multiple offences. The new
system also provides more detailed information related to
criminal incidents, such as the time crimes occurred and the
names of assailants and victims. Columbus Police Department
Deputy Chief Antone Lanata said state law enforcement
agencies can assign officers based on the data's findings.
However, NIBRS remains a voluntary system, so it is unclear
how many agencies will participate. The state used federal
grants to pay for most of the $1.3 million cost to implement
the system, according to Lanata.
http://www.cd.columbus.oh.us/ 

"Gwinnett County, Georgia Department of Corrections Decides
on Inmate Management Biometrics From SENSE Holdings, Inc." 
PRNewswire (11/11/02) 

The Department of Corrections of Gwinnett County, Ga., has
installed SENSE's CheckPrint Work Release imaging system at
its regional correctional complex in Lawrenceville, Ga. The
system can be used to identify and track the facility's
non-violent inmates and work-release prisoners. SENSE's
CheckPrint system uses biometrics and video capture
technologies, card printers, a customized computer, and a
database solution for storing inmates' features. Image
captures or user-defined inmate data are sources for the
database. Data can include, for example, scars, marks,
tattoos, fingerprints, and so on. SENSE's CheckPrint system
provides a "better way to authenticate, identify, manage,
and process correctional prisoners," says SENSE's CEO and
President Dore Perler. He added that the system can be
custom-tailored to different security levels and inmate
populations. "Our mission is to provide a safe, secure, and
humane environment for inmates, staff, and the community,"
says warden of the correctional facility James Kraus.
"Through the application of modern technologies,
correctional management, and supervision techniques, this
certainly assists us in achieving our mission."
http://www.prnewswire.com/ 

"Ballistics Lab Solves Cases" 
Indianapolis Star (11/08/02) P. 3B; Horne, Terry 

Marion County, Ind.-based Forensic Services Agency recently
computerized their case files using the Integrated
Ballistics Information System and created a network with law
enforcement agencies who are looking for links between
various crimes by matching bullet and cartridge markings.
The agency has 56 hits to its credit after entering 8,607
records, says agency director James E. Hamby. The agency is
in the top 10 percent of forensic laboratories in the
country, according to Institute for Forensic Imaging
director Jack Jacobi. In order to reduce crime and make
investigations easier, some politicians, law enforcement
officials, and gun-control advocates support a plan that
would require all guns to be fired and ballistic
fingerprints entered into a national database before sale to
the public; however, gun rights groups oppose such a plan
and call it an infringement on their privacy. Jacobi admits
that the technology for such a large database does not exist
at this point.
http://www.indystar.com/article.php?forensics08.html 

"Database Lets Police Share Crime Info" 
Federal Computer Week (11/04/02) Vol. 16, No. 39, P. 34;
Matthews, William 

The Gateway Information Sharing Project, a crime database
scheduled to be completely functional by the middle of next
month, will contain crime investigation information from
around 12 law enforcement agencies that operate in eastern
Missouri and southern Illinois. The database is unique in
that it contains federal, state, and local information.
Agencies that contribute to the database will be able to use
it. Investigators will be able to enter names, vehicle
makes, weapons, etc., to obtain information from other cases
that might be pertinent to a case they are investigating.
Investigators can then download the obtained data into
analytical software that can name and graphically show
connections between individuals, phone numbers, and other
elements of the crimes. When linked to the system,
investigators expect to be able to import information
concerning a crime and locate similar crimes that are being
looked into in other areas, where officials may have already
found a suspect or made an arrest. The ability to
immediately access the investigative information of nearby
jurisdictions should be a primary crime-solving advantage,
notes Collinsville, Ill., police chief Gerrit Gillespie. The
FBI, which is sponsoring the Gateway project, is also
sponsoring comparable databases in Baltimore, San Diego,
Seattle, and Norfolk, Va.
http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2002/1104/tec-crime-11-04-02.asp 

"Taking a Bite Out of Crime in Florida" 
Customer Relationship Management (10/02) Vol. 6, No. 10, P.
32; Myron, David 

Florida's Department of Corrections (FDC) has been able to
handle a dramatic influx of inmates in the past several
years with improved performance, due to help from a SAS
customer relationship management (CRM) solution. Bill Bales,
who is chief of the Bureau of Research and Data Analysis at
the FDC, says Gov. Jeb Bush's campaign to reduce violent
crime has ballooned the state inmate population, as well as
the other offenders who are not housed in the traditional
prison system, but are on work-release or other programs.
Bales is responsible for tracking and producing reports on
inmates and others under FDC supervision. He says the CRM
system has allowed the FDC to formulate better standards and
procedures so that the state has enjoyed the longest period
ever without a prisoner perimeter escape, despite a rising
prison population. Officials were able to examine and
compare data such as how often individuals escape, how they
do so, and how long they are out. In addition, the FDC can
help law enforcement more by tracking former inmates'
histories in FDC facilities, and locating former cellmates
who can be interviewed to glean evidence for investigations
into new crimes. Bales also says that having a centralized
system not only reduces the workload on prison officials,
but also reduces the propensity for human error, since data
is only entered once.
http://www.destinationcrm.com/articles/default.asp?ArticleID=2592 

"Using Scales in Photography" 
Law Enforcement Technology (10/02) Vol. 29, No. 10, P. 142;
LeMay, Jan 

When taking photographs of crime scenes, technicians need to
know how to correctly position scales to facilitate forensic
examinations. Scales from the FBI and private companies can
be L-shaped, black and white, fluorescent, measured in
inches or centimeters, and so on. They help indicate the
true size of a particular mark or impression and allow
comparisons. But incorrect use of scales may result in
unusable results. Initially, photographers should take
close-up photos using 100 ISO film without a scale. Then the
scale should be placed near the evidence at the same depth,
removing material around the specimen if necessary, but not
disturbing the specimen itself. The camera should be mounted
on a tripod at a 90-degree angle to the specimen. In the
case of a shoe or tire impression, a remote flash should be
held about three or four feet away from the impression in
such a way as to produce shadows to reveal the details.
Scales with adhesives can be used in photographs of
fingerprints, tool marks, etc., on walls or ceilings.
http://www.law-enforcement.com/

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