Prison RFID: Alanco TSI PRISM Wins Ohio RFP

From Business Wire (press release), CA ... ALAN) announced today that it was selected by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRH) to provide its TSI PRISM(TM) RFID inmate tracking and ...

Alanco Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALAN) is a provider of advanced information technology solutions with a strategic focus upon RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tracking technology through the recent acquisition of Technology Systems International, Inc. in May 2002. Alanco also participates in the data storage industry through two subsidiary companies: Arraid, Inc., a manufacturer of proprietary storage products to upgrade older "legacy" computer systems; and Excel/Meridian Data, Inc., a manufacturer of Network Attached Storage (NAS) systems for mid-range organizations.

The TSI PRISM wireless (RFID) tracking system consists of five primary components: a tamper detecting wristwatch-sized RF (radio frequency) transmitter for inmates, a belt-mounted transmitter worn by the officer staff, a strategically placed array of receiving antennae, a computer system and TSI’s PRISM application software. TSI’s proprietary algorithm software simultaneously processes multiple thousands of unique radio signals received every two seconds from the wrist and belt worn transmitters to pinpoint an individual’s location and track that individual in real time as they move about the facility. Entry into a restricted area or attempts to remove the transmitter device signal alarms to the monitoring computer. The officer transmitters can also signal an alarm by manual activation of an emergency button, or automatically, if the officer is knocked down or the transmitter forcibly removed from his belt. TSI's technology provides much more than real-time individual identification and tracking with its array of database and software applications. The system automatically records all tracking data over a prescribed period in a permanently archived database for accurate post-incident reporting and future reference. A host of management reporting tools are available that include medicine and meal distribution, adherence to pre-determined time schedules, restricted area management, and specific location, arrival and departure information. The State of California is recognized as a national leader for the corrections industry, particularly relative to new technology application. Following six years of extensive research, product development and beta testing, California has cooperated with TSI since early 2000 to operate a pilot site at a minimum-security facility in Calipatria, California.