From handcuffs to wristbands: Erie County jail inmates wear new tech-savvy bracelets

PERKINS TWP. — Before they're behind bars, incoming Erie County jail inmates know they'll wear shiny, metallic handcuffs.But after getting locked up, they're now expected to wear a new type of bright, plastic restraint.Erie County jail guards recently required all prisoners to don orange wristbands while in captivity at the Columbus Avenue holding facility.The bracelets, incorporating technology through scanners and bar codes, serve many purposes.Among the more notable, as told by Erie County Sheriff Paul Sigsworth:• Identifying the inmate, as each wristband displays a particular person's name, picture and jail identification number"Prior to this, we printed off pictures (of each inmate) and placed them in control areas of where those inmates were housed. But the nurses and guards aren't always carrying those pictures," Sigsworth said. "These bracelets allow for instant identification of a prisoner. We will know exactly who we are dealing with at any given time. It's a county jail, and people come and go. If a corrections officer isn't here for two shifts, there could easily be 20 new prisoners in here. For the officer, they can more easily and positively identify the person they're dealing with."• Letting nurses know exactly what types of medications an inmate must receive"The nurses can be assured the medications they are dispensing will be given to the right person," Sigsworth said. "It's not unheard of for the prisoner to receive the wrong medication. We can scan the bracelet, and it tells us the proper type and dosage. We'll also know their medical history."• Providing a log of where inmates spend their time while in jail"If they go to church or to the gym or to court, the officer can scan that person's bracelet, and it will automatically go into their file on our server of where they went," Sigsworth said. "It helps keep track of their movement throughout the facility at any given time."• Loading up a person's criminal historyTechnology incorporated in the bracelets offer many efficiencies over the outdated pen-and-paper system."We won't have to do this type of record keeping by hand anymore," Sigsworth said.The program costs about $1,200 a year to operate. Funds generated through the jail's commissary service cover all program costs. Inmates deposit money on personal accounts, called the commissary, to purchase "luxury items," including candy, snacks and soft drinks. Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOurielAn inmate in the Erie County jail displays her identification wristband on Monday, Oct. 3, 2016. As of the last week of September, all inmates are required to wear the wristband in order for correctional officers and nurses to instantly identify the inmate at any given time. An example of an electronic wristband that Erie County jail inmates are required to wear as of the last week of September sits on the Sheriff's desk. The bracelets contain identification including a mug shot of the inmate, their name and identification number.