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General operational and educational information for corrections professionals. Not legal, medical, or compliance advice, and not a certification of compliance with any law or standard. Policies and standards vary by agency and jurisdiction; follow your facility's policy and your own legal, medical, and professional advisors. The library is reviewed and updated monthly; see the changelog.

// Decision guide

What to review before a jail technology purchase

IN SHORT

Jail technology is easy to buy and hard to unwind. Before you sign, review five things: the outcome it changes, its fit with what you already own, the record it leaves, the human role, and the claims it makes. This applies to any vendor, including us.

Reviewed: VPT Editorial Review
// The five reviews

Before you sign

Work through each:

  • Outcome. Does it change what happens on the floor, or only record it?
  • Fit. Does it run on what you already own and your real staffing?
  • Record. What reviewable record does it leave for after an incident?
  • Human role. Does a trained person review every alert, and does anything act on a person automatically?
  • Claims. Are the claims honest, or does it promise outcomes and legal standing it cannot guarantee?
// The claims to question

Overclaiming red flags

Be skeptical of detection accuracy percentages, promises to prevent deaths, and claims that a product makes you compliant or will hold up in court. A serious vendor describes what the system does and the record it keeps, and lets your policy and counsel speak to compliance.

// The quiet costs

What to ask about

Ask about total monthly cost, what funds can pay for it, how false alarms are handled so staff do not tune it out, and what happens to your data. The purchase price is rarely the whole story.

// Clearing up the confusion

What it is not

  • Not an endorsement of any vendor. Apply this review to everyone, including VPT.
  • Not procurement or legal advice. Follow your county's purchasing rules and counsel.
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Ground the review in your own facility first. The Readiness Checklist and Camera Coverage Self-Assessment help.

Jail Safety Readiness Checklist   Camera Coverage Self-Assessment
// Common questions

Frequently asked

What should I review before buying jail technology?
The outcome it changes, its fit with what you own, the record it leaves, the human role on alerts, and whether its claims are honest.
What claims should make me skeptical?
Detection accuracy percentages, promises to prevent deaths, and claims that a product makes you compliant or will hold up in court.
What quiet costs should I ask about?
Total monthly cost, what funds can pay for it, how false alarms are handled, and what happens to your data.
Does this apply to VPT too?
Yes. Apply the same review to us as to anyone else.

Virtual Patrol Technologies welcomes this review applied to its own system, plainly. See the method, or request a Safety Intelligence Audit.

Request a 60-Day Safety Intelligence Audit   Sheriffs: Evaluating Safety Technology   Jailers: What to Ask Before Buying