Harnessing Innovation:
Technology's Transformative Potential for Safer Facilities and Stronger Communities
Kevin Elder
America’s correctional institutions are undergoing a pivotal technological transformation, driven by urgent operational needs and advancing capabilities. With nearly 1.8 million individuals incarcerated and facilities nationwide facing critical staffing shortages, correctional leaders are under increasing pressure to maintain safety, security, and efficiency with fewer resources. The scale of the challenge is significant, balancing the demands of secure facility operations with limited manpower. According to leading industry associations, annual staff turnover can reach as high as 30 percent in some agencies, with many recruits leaving shortly after onboarding.
In this demanding and complex environment, technology is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity. Once viewed as a supplementary tool, it has become a core component of modern correctional strategy. Technology has become a powerful force multiplier, enhancing daily operations and filling gaps in workforce capacity. From digital education platforms that provide incarcerated individuals with access to learning and skill-building to secure communication systems that support correctional staff, advanced technology is transforming how facilities function. Most importantly, these tools are preparing justice-impacted individuals for successful reentry—helping them reconnect with their communities, contribute to the workforce, and play a meaningful role in strengthening local economies.
For communications channels and operational tools inside correctional facilities, we’re seeing a variety of ways where advanced equipment is meeting the moment, focused on several key areas:
• Bolstering the safety and security of facilities.
• Optimizing operational processes to use limited resources efficiently.
• Strengthening rehabilitation programs, leading to greater reentry outcomes.
• Creating outcomes that boost local communities and economies
Ultimately, leveraging technology effectively contributes to an enhancement of security and public safety.
Technology’s Positive Feedback Loop
When used correctly, technology provides a loop of positive reinforcement. As often stressed, it starts with safety and security—the foundational elements of reliable and modern digital tools.
With secure digital infrastructure in place, correctional staff can focus on innovation and leadership, trusting technology to streamline operations behind the scenes. Robust security features are essential—corrections-grade tablets are purpose-built using enterprise-level management frameworks to deliver a reliable and efficient user experience. These devices incorporate tamper-resistant designs that minimize physical vulnerabilities, along with tamper alarms, GPS tracking, and biometric authentication like fingerprint sensors. Modern connectivity solutions, including cloud integration via LTE cellular networks, eliminate the need for complex on-site infrastructure—accelerating deployment, reducing hardware costs, and simplifying maintenance. Controlled app environments further enhance system manageability while ensuring consistent access to approved tools and resources. This flexible approach not only supports operational efficiency but also overcomes the budgetary and logistical barriers that have traditionally limited technology access in correctional settings.
When people and technology work in harmony, correctional staff are empowered to focus their time and expertise on facilitating behavior change and applying evidence-based practices. Technology can shoulder routine tasks, freeing personnel to concentrate on high-value responsibilities where human judgment, empathy, and interpersonal skills make the greatest impact. This symbiotic relationship is dynamic: as staff engage with technology, they identify opportunities for improvement, collaborating with peers and providers to enhance security, usability, and effectiveness. Secure tablets and other digital tools serve as critical platforms for education, vocational training, communication, and connection to reentry resources, expanding access to opportunity for justice-impacted individuals. Over time, as feedback is gathered and outcomes are measured, these technologies evolve, becoming even more responsive, resilient, and impactful in supporting both rehabilitation and safer facility operations.
Efficiency On the Rise Under Technology
Beyond foundational security, technology offers significant opportunities to streamline correctional operations and potentially reduce overall costs. In today’s era of staffing challenges, leveraging technology for efficiency is vital. Many facilities operate with outdated systems that can hinder progress, whereas investing in modern technology helps meet today’s demands for accountability, efficiency, and meaningful rehabilitation.
Many duties are ready for automation. Secure technology allows for modernizing administration, automating workflows, and centralizing communication and forms. From report generation and creating visitation schedules, to data management, paperwork, and inventory tasks, technology can tackle the mundane while reducing the chance of error. The implementation of digital logs for rounds, checks, and other activities reduces cumbersome paperwork and improves data accuracy, making crucial security data instantly accessible for supervisors and record-keeping.
The automation of these functions allows for a shift in the focus of correctional staff. Officers and case managers have more room for direct supervision, meaningful engagement with incarcerated individuals, and proactive support of rehabilitative efforts. This ability to dedicate more valuable time to actively supervising common areas and engaging with the population is fundamental to maintaining a secure and orderly facility.
Case studies demonstrate clear benefits. For instance, Niagara County Correctional Facility delivered tangible results from technology, experiencing a remarkable 22 percent decrease in infractions and a notable improvement in staff safety following the adoption of secure tablets. Officers in that facility reported a decrease in tension and an increased sense of control, benefits extending beyond immediate safety concerns to positively influence the rehabilitative environment. Another facility saw a significant increase in family connections reported alongside the reduction in infractions after implementing tablet technology.
Investing In Education and Rehabilitation Through Technology
Technology’s greatest potential may lie in its ability to enhance rehabilitation programs and improve reentry outcomes, which are widely recognized as primary factors for long-term public safety improvement. Providing access via secure devices to approved content, educational programs, job training resources, and structured communication channels can significantly reduce tension and conflict often born from boredom and frustration, fostering a more constructive environment.
Education is continually cited as a leading form of intervention for reducing recidivism. Secure devices like tablets provide access to a wide range of educational resources, including pathways to GEDs, industry certifications, and post-secondary learning opportunities through partnerships with various educational content providers. Trade-specific vocational training, digital literacy, financial literacy, and resources supporting mental health and substance use treatment are some of the other vital opportunities delivered via technology. One of the biggest benefits of a digital approach is overcoming geographical barriers; regardless of their location, incarcerated individuals can potentially access web-based resources to learn and chart their post-release path.
Maintaining Positive Family and Community Ties
Community and family ties are strongly correlated with successful reentry. Research indicates significantly lower reoffending rates for individuals who sustain family connections during incarceration; one study cited a 39 percent lower recidivism rate for those who sustain family connections. Technology offers vital tools here. Video visitation allows face-to-face interaction regardless of distance, helping maintain visual bonds. Secure electronic messaging provides quick, flexible ways to share daily life updates and offer encouragement. These tools can reduce feelings of isolation for the incarcerated person and help families stay connected, strengthening the support systems crucial for successful reintegration.
Furthermore, technology can facilitate access to specific reentry resources. Applications available on secure devices can empower individuals to engage in pre-release career planning or connect directly with second-chance employers post-release. These tools represent scalable solutions that help bridge the employment gap for justice-impacted individuals, paving sustainable pathways toward economic mobility and stability. Additionally, training and employment post-release also help lower the likelihood that a justice-impacted individual will become incarcerated again.
The Path Forward: Considerations For Implementation
Technology, when wielded strategically, acts as a powerful force multiplier in the challenging field of corrections. It offers pathways toward enhanced safety and security, and it optimizes the efficiency of complex operational processes. Crucially, technology strengthens the rehabilitative programming essential for successful reentry and long-term public safety.
However, as demonstrated by experiences across the country, the success of correctional technology depends less on the tools themselves and more on how they are implemented. Effective deployment requires a comprehensive approach: sustained funding that reflects the specialized demands of secure correctional systems, robust infrastructure to support connectivity, and thorough staff training to ensure both usability and adherence to security protocols. Systems must also be designed with built-in privacy and ethical safeguards, as well as a commitment to digital access to ensure all users can meaningfully engage with the technology.
Equally critical is transparent, inclusive stakeholder engagement. This means fostering continuous dialogue with correctional staff, incarcerated individuals, families, community organizations, advocates, and regulatory bodies. Incorporating insights from advisory boards and centering the lived experiences of justice-impacted individuals not only improves implementation, but it also helps shape more responsive and human-centered technology solutions over time.
For the members of the American Jail Association, embracing innovation is not about chasing the latest trends. It is about thoughtfully integrating tools that help achieve the core mission of corrections more effectively and safely. By navigating the complexities of implementation with careful planning and collaboration, agencies can harness technology to build safer facilities, support corrections officers operating in a taxing environment, spark positive individual change, reduce recidivism, and ultimately foster stronger, safer communities for all.
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Kevin Elder, a results-driven and visionary C-suite business & technology executive, brings over two decades of distinguished experience in shaping technology-enabled business transformations. His deep passion for architecting solutions extends to regulated industries, where his strategic insights ensure Securus Technologies partners with customers to navigate category change. Elder’s exceptional leadership consistently delivers transformative results and fosters innovation and growth. For more information, contact mysecurus@aventiv.com
References
American Correctional Association. (n.d.). Correctional AI: Promise, Risks and the Way Forward. Retrieved April 10, 2025, from https://www.aca.org/common/Uploaded%20files/Publications_Carla/Docs/Corrections%20Today/2024%20Articles/CT_Fall%202024_Correctional%20AI.pdf
Aventiv Technologies. (2024, June 26). Niagara County Correctional Facility Partners with Securus Technologies to Revolutionize Facility with Secure Tablets. Aventiv Technologies website. Retrieved April 10, 2025, from https://www.aventiv.com/niagara-county-correctional-facility-partners-with-securus-technologies-to-revolutionize-facility-with-secure-tablets/
Dynamic Imaging. (n.d.). The Harris County Sheriff’s Office Goes Digital with CorreTrak. Retrieved April 10, 2025, from https://www.dynamicimaging.com/docs/DI_CaseStudy_HarrisCounty_Full.pdf
EMHIC Global. (n.d.). The Potential of AI To Enhance Mental Health in Correctional Facilities: Benefits for Staff and Incarcerated Individuals. Retrieved April 10, 2025, from https://emhicglobal.com/case-studies/the-potential-of-ai-to-enhance-mental-health-in-correctional-facilities-benefits-for-staff-and-incarcerated-individuals/
Office of Justice Programs. (n.d.). Contraband Detection Technology in Correctional Facilities: An Overview of Technologies for Screening People, Vehicles, and Correctional Settings. Retrieved April 10, 2025, from https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/300856.pdf
Prison Policy Initiative. (2021, December 21). Research roundup: The positive impacts of family contact for incarcerated people. Retrieved April 10, 2025, from https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2021/12/21/family_contact/
RAND Corporation. (2013, August 22). Education and Vocational Training in Prisons Reduces Recidivism, Improves Job Outlook. RAND News Release. Retrieved April 10, 2025, from https://www.rand.org/news/press/2013/08/22.html