NEWS One US state reckons it's cracked how to keep track of all of its 44,000 prison inmates - RFID-chip them.
The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRH) has approved a $415,000 contract to trial the tracking technology with Alanco Technologies.
The pilot project will run at the Ross Correctional Facility in Chillicothe, Ohio. If all goes well, the technology could be rolled out to all of the state's inmates in 33 separate facilities. Inmates will wear "wristwatch-sized" transmitters that can detect if prisoners have been trying to remove them and send an alert to prison computers.
Staff will also wear the technology on their belts so they can be tracked for security purposes. Warders can activate an alarm themselves but the alert will also be sent if the transmitter is forcibly removed or the warder is knocked down.
Alanco claims system can pinpoint the location of staff and prisoners in real-time and track them within the confines of a prison.
The Ross project is not the first such rollout of tracking chips in US prisons. Facilities in Michigan, California and Illinois already employ the technology and Robert R. Kauffman, Alanco CEO, said he expects three new states to sign up to use RFID technology.
Comments
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1. Mike Tree
I thought this was going to be about sub-dermal implants - most disappointed!
2. Oguzhan Filizlibay
What is wrong with chipping everyone? When you register everybody, and can follow where they go, just that, then crime levels would really decrease. Thats what i think.
3. Orson
LOL, crime doesn't have anything to do with registering person. Especially not the USA. it's just another way of getting control of the masses. Crime is preventend by fighting poverty and unemployment, not putting a chip into everybody.
4. anonymous
Oguzhan from Istanbul asks what's wrong with chipping everybody.
Ah, if only all countries had the enviable human rights record that Turkey has, we'd welcome it.
5. Todd
They way this technology is headed you will be able to program everything into this one little chip. You will not even have to money or anything because they will be able to read the chip and just deduct the money from your account like they do with a debit card. If someone is missing you will be able to find them really easy. Just like the movie Mission Impossible 2 they put that tag in the girl and a Satallite could pin point her to within 3 feet. Wow what a wonderful thing. Not!!!! If you remember or if you don't look it up in Revelation in the Bible were it talks about the mark of the beast. There it talks about not being able to do anything without this mark. With this technology there will not be a need for money so there will be a cashless society and the government will be able to have tabs on you no matter where you go. No thanks!!! I'll just stick with the normal stuff.
6. Jan Berger
I agree with Mr Orson and Todd. Besides, everybody who is in favor of this technology should read the novel "1984" which gives you a clear insight in the totalitarian state which will be the result if you introduce this technology in a society.
The Big Brother is watching you every minute of the day and night and observing people like in the former communist societies is a mockery.
Today "1984" is already reality.
The government is already following the individual by its computing systems.
Every payment you make with a credit card is registered in a computer with tme and place. Every camera in public area is registering you. Using a cell phone means that the governement is able to pinpoint in distances of 10 meters.
You like that ? I don't.
Governments are institutions that like to control and are only interested to stay in power. For achieving these goals they do everything they can.
Jan The Netherlands
7. Stig-ove Madetoja
Its time people start taking time to look at the facts about this rfid chipping its a total invasion of privacy resist it with all costs.
8. Paul Nedas
Presumably the alarm is activated only if the wristband is tampered with ---- BUT WHAT HAPPENS IF THE PRISONER SIMPLY REMOVES THE WRISTBAND AFTER HE HAS CHOPPED OFF HIS HAND???
(Ed note. Then he has no hand...and he's still in prison and losing blood fast. How far is he going to get?)
9. Paul Nedas
The privacy-issue raised regarding RFID by protestors is misguided at the very least.
Currently RFID chips can only be read at very short range = a few metres.
Whereas the mobile phone represents a far greater threat to privacy.
Why are the campaignors blathering on about RFID rather than the privacy threat of mobile phones?
Answer: because they recognise that consumers are prepared to accept both the privacy and health threats of the mobile because the perceived benefits of the mobile far exceed the negatives.
10. meria
Isn't this called fascism? Where's the freedom in America anymore?
What else can these "chips" be programmed to receive/send? Disease?
mind control? People better be doing their homework and leave the chips for salsa.
11. WHENpotISlegalYOU'LLgetMYname
What Americans who consider themselves 'elite' and better than 'criminals' need to realize is that most of the US's prison population is in for pot. That's right, Marijuana. Possesion, distribution, and growing of a plant that has ABSOLUTELY NO PROVEN MEDICALLY HARMFUL SIDEEFFECTS has caused the imprisonment of millions of Americans! Do you really feel justified in tracking people and discriminating against them because they grew, owned, gave away, or smoked a plant? Do you feel justified in doing this, as you smoke your own plant (tobacco) which DOES KILL? If you are, you are not an elite american. You are not even an American! You are DISCRIMINATION INCARNATE, and our country's majority population outgrew your mindset decades ago. Grow up and start worrying about your own life instead of trying to control other peoples lives.
12. Rowena Moriah
Meria, The programming possibilites are limited,depending upon which type of chip is used, but they have allready used the IMPLANTABLE CHIPS to deliver drugs.
The purchase and use of these devices is necessary in order to demonstrate their vulnerability and insufficiency for use on prisoners and criminals. They know the devices outside the body are easily "shorted out" and made useless. Same type of issues with use on Alzheimers patients and the other handicapped in society...they can be lost, stolen etc. So....if anyone is going to be objecting to RFID tracking of humans, best get busy real soon on it. Why isn't the ACLU screaming their heads off all over the nation? or...are they and the media is mostly not giving it coverage??
13. JDB
Well all know the prophecy, I would like to see studies of the implants and their vision of the affects on humans over long term use. If it uses radio waves to transmit and receive, how will that affect the area of skin it was implanted in. Small doses of microwaved ham hang from your hand. Everyone better learn to live in the wild again, or find someone you can trust who doesnt care about their soul and leach off them for a few years until they round you up and behead you for not taking the mark and pledging allegence to Bush.
14. Winstom Smith
Would you like to issue to tourists, as a visa requirement?
How about on entering Las Vegas?
Or College?
15. Mac
If you tell a lie long enough, people will begin to believe it. RFID is not about convenience or the safety of our children, it's about CONTROL!
Wake up, if the government wants us to trust them, why can't they trust us with our own money and lives?
16. Malcolm Ripley
The Future :
1. Everyone is chipped.
2. Somebody in a backstreet sets up a de-chipping service
3. Criminals de-chip themselves but keep it in their wallet.
4. Criminals keep their wallet with them at all times except when committing a crime when the wallet is "in bed" at home.
5. All law abiding citizens are monitored by the government but criminals are the most free of all !
Mass chipping will not cut crime but it will allow the government to control law abiding citizens.
17. Oguzhan Filizlibay
For anonymous, i would like to remind him of a few words about democracy...
Ireland, Iraq, South Africa, India ...
and i could not make any connection to democracy record in Turkey to my comments about RFID chipping. I think you were trying to make a useless comment about Turkey when you had the chance.
18. R Parks
At the Cards and IT Security Exhibition in Paris last week the theme of the show was RFID and Biometrics. Companies in these areas really believe their time has come. Whilst it is clear to me that a ubiquitous "Big Brother" RFID spying device is pure hyperbole, due to the broad variety of different frequencies, ranges and circuitry deployed, there is none the less a real risk that products you purchase (including clothing) can have RFID transponders incorporated into them. These can be associated with you at time of purchase and then further associated with other transponders you carry at the same time. Rather like a collection of web cookies accumulates with your web browser, these RFID tags amount to a collection of cookies that identify you to whoever has the associative data. Unlike web browsers, there is no option to disable RFID tags on command, and as the tags themselves do not contain personal data, the associative relationships between them can be bought and sold. So next time you go to buy a car, perhaps the car salesman will already have found out which other dealerships you have visited. One-to-one marketing is entering a new era. I can feel the nausea rising.
19. Steven Jenson
Zombie Wire RFID World News' main objective is to reach out to the consumer and educate them on RFID and how it will infringe in their private lives.
We would say that 90% of all consumers do not know of the RFID movement. The question are: why are there as many as 90% of the consumers thus far in to the RFID movement unaware of what is taking place behind closed doors? What is there to hide? If informed of the RFID mandate, would they the consumer refute or conform? These and other inquiries need to be approached now before the mandate stands insurmountable.
Get informed now on the RFID movement at Zombie Wire RFID World NewsIf you want to be a part of Zombie Wire and have something to ad: Contact Zombie Wire for more information.
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20. Bill Armanian Lumberg
This is the mark of the beast as described in the Holy Bible in Revelation 13.
I guess if the prisoners are forcefully implanted against there will then they won't be held accountable by Jesus. However soon it will be mandatory everywheres. Or else you will be considered a terrorist by the Govt. Then after that happens if you refuse the chip implant then you will be tortured, and killed for your beliefs.
21. D Wood
Wrist bands or belts now, mandatory subdermal implants in the near future. Who better to force the Mark on than the incarcerated?
22. anonymous
this is a very needed product .
23. bigdog
As Jan said "Big Brother is watching" and listening also, today NSA monitors calls overseas if you are flagged your conversation is kicked up the chain to be evaluated ; and determine if in fact this is some sort of terrorist activity. All of this is done without a warrant for a wire tap. If it turns out to be a terrorist communication a warrant is then retrieved to cover their actions.
24. Slick Nick
First it will start out as an experiment on pets. Then it will move to the prisoners.
Then it will move to the population.