The next evolution in inmate care is already here

Key takeaways

• Biometric monitoring can reduce in-custody deaths: AI-driven biometric tools help correctional staff detect signs of overdose, suicide risk and medical distress in real time.
• Most jails lack the infrastructure to support biometric tech: Outdated buildings and unreliable networks prevent county jails from deploying continuous biometric surveillance.
• Privacy and consent laws pose implementation challenges: Agencies must navigate evolving legal standards on inmate data, including biometric privacy regulations like BIPA.
• Wearable devices provide real-time inmate health data: Tracking metrics like heart rate, sleep and blood oxygen gives jail staff actionable insight to prevent emergencies.
• AI-powered behavioral profiling is the future of inmate management: Integrating facial recognition, voice analysis and vitals monitoring offers a proactive approach to jail safety and wellness.

By Captain Cameron Henderson

The United States imprisons more of its people than any other nation on Earth, and by a considerable margin. [1] While persons are in custody of a county or state, detention and correctional facilities have an obligation to provide adequate medical care to detainees and prisoners. Because they are under the control of the institution, they are unable to seek medical care elsewhere, as free people do. This is an important task that takes considerable time, effort and expense. Compounding the issue, correctional agencies nationwide are facing historic reductions in staff and retention challenges. [2] Providing proper care for those imprisoned is not just a legal requirement but a reflection of our values as a society. How will county jails deal with this massive responsibility in the future? Artificially intelligent behavioral profiling may be an answer.

Imagine that in the near future, a county sheriff’s office had fully integrated biometric behavioral profiling (BBP) into its daily operations. When the sheriff brought BBP into the agency, many deputies were skeptical, unsure if artificial intelligence could truly understand human behavior better than trained staff. Within months, though, the system nicknamed “The Watcher” had already prevented multiple violent incidents, medical emergencies and suicidal ideations. As is the case with many new technologies, deputies wondered how they could ever have done their jobs without it. Far from being a fantasy, BPP may make this scenario a common occurrence in the near future.

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The problem: Preventing death in custody

Behavioral profiling, also known as behavioral analysis or behavioral science, is a systematic process of examining, interpreting and predicting human behavior based on observed patterns, actions and motivations. [3] Using biometric technology greatly enhances this systematic process by making it faster, more secure and more reliable. There are a litany of uses for behavioral profiling, one of which addresses a critical public safety issue — ensuring the physical safety of persons in custody.

In-custody deaths are becoming more prevalent in today’s society due to various factors including increased drug use, illness, trauma, alcohol intoxication and mental health. [4] Law enforcement and corrections officers are struggling to find ways to prevent these deaths and are looking for solutions to monitor people’s health from the point of arrest, through transport and into detention facilities. Tools like body-worn cameras, detention surveillance systems and health and wellness checks are being used to try to prevent in-custody deaths. However, with the widespread use of fentanyl and increased suicide rate, death is becoming more frequent and harder to prevent than ever before.

In 2019, 1,200 individuals died in local jails nationwide, reflecting a 5% increase from the previous year and a 33% increase from 2000. [5] The mortality rate steadily climbed from 123 per 100,000 incarcerated individuals in 2011 to a peak of 167 in 2019. [5] The primary causes of jail death during this period were illness, suicide and intoxication, with heart disease being the predominant illness-related cause. [6] To more effectively monitor and intervene with persons in custody who are experiencing a medical emergency, biometric monitoring tools have opened a new wheelhouse of capabilities in terms of monitoring inmate wellness. The potential of biometrics offers the opportunity in the near future to not only get ahead of these issues but also improve the quality of service provided by county jails.

Current limitations in corrections technology

Technology’s impact on the effectiveness of law enforcement can be seen through highly visible implementations including the use of body-worn cameras on police officers and cloud-based solutions to store digital evidence. However, county jails are currently lacking technologies that would offer a similar decisive advantage in their setting. Using bio-tracked technology for behavioral profiling of inmates will soon be an option to help deputies and correctional officers do their jobs more effectively and with better outcomes for inmate safety from self-harm.

Thirty agencies around the United States are already using biometric monitoring to prevent in-custody deaths. [4] Through a combination of biometric monitoring and artificial intelligence, by 2023, 12 lives had already been saved in jails across the country, a number that should grow significantly as these systems are introduced more widely.

Broomfield County, Colorado Sheriff’s Office was one of the first departments to use biometric monitoring to protect the health and wellness of detainees. Within the first year of testing in 2021, including wearable wristbands and real-time dashboards monitoring inmate vitals, they were able to save three lives. Commander Shawn Laughlin, MCJ, CJM reported two of the lives saved were from a quick awareness of drug overdoses. He stated, “The drug ingestions were unequivocally not on our radar because the inmate did not give us proper information during the pre-booking process.” [7]

To implement biometric behavioral profiling tools, though, some limitations must be overcome. One major limitation is the lack of advanced biometric infrastructure in most jails and prisons across the nation.

Infrastructure, privacy and funding obstacles

Many prisons operate within outdated facilities that are poorly equipped to support modern technologies. [8] Even if individual biometric monitoring were available, many county jails still rely on outdated internet servers that are not powerful enough to process real-time biometric data or have wi-fi signals that cannot reach every area of large concrete jails. These limitations make it difficult to implement continuous health tracking or real-time behavioral analytics reliant on dependable wireless capability.

Retrofitting these buildings can be complex and expensive, requiring significant upgrades to electrical systems, structural reinforcements and other modifications. Interestingly, other countries have already moved ahead of the United States to do just that. In the United Arab Emirates, they extensively upgraded their electrical systems and structural reinforcements to support modern technologies. [9] In the U.S., though, county jail facilities have not been able to implement biometric technology in the same way. One example of this reality comes from Fulton County, Georgia.

In 2023, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners pulled more than $2 million in funding for inmate wrist monitors after the jail failed to implement the project which had been approved in an emergency contract requested by the Fulton County Sheriff earlier that year. Sheriff Labat pointed out a lack of infrastructure in outdated buildings as the primary reason for the delay. He stated, “The buildings continue to fall apart in many ways and that pushes out the timeline.” [10]

Another pressing issue is data privacy and ethical concerns. The use of biometric technology for behavioral profiling raises legal and ethical questions, including potential violations of inmate privacy, consent issues and the risk of data misuse. While body cameras and report writing software are now a common tool in law enforcement, the law often struggles to keep up with the rapid pace of technological innovation. [11] For example, in 2018, the Supreme Court ruled that law enforcement must obtain a warrant before accessing historical cell-site location information from mobile phone providers. Group Inc., a private prison operator in Illinois, faced a lawsuit alleging violations of the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). The company was accused of collecting and storing employees’ fingerprints for timekeeping without obtaining informed consent or providing data retention policies, thereby infringing on workers’ privacy rights. [12] Although a jail administrator’s focus will likely be on infrastructure and operations, they must also remain abreast of the ways various laws might support or inhibit implementing BBP.

Additionally, funding constraints pose a significant barrier. Many county jails operate on tight budgets, prioritizing essential operational needs over costly technology upgrades. The implementation and maintenance of advanced biometric systems require substantial financial investment, which many facilities simply cannot afford.

In spite of these costs and technological obstacles, local and county jails should be leveraging future bio-tracked behavioral profiles to monitor the health and welfare of inmates more proactively. By employing wearable technologies that track vital signs, emotional states and other biometric indicators, authorities will have real-time data to anticipate and address health crises before they escalate. These devices provide real-time monitoring of metrics such as heart rate variability, blood pressure, physical activity levels, oxygen saturation and even sleep quality, delivering a more comprehensive and dynamic view of an individual’s health status. [13] For instance, if an inmate displays signs of psychological distress, indicated by elevated heart rates or irregular sleep patterns, jail healthcare teams can intervene promptly, potentially reducing incidents of suicide, self-harm or violence.

Laying the foundation for implementation

The integration of multiple biometric modalities (such as facial recognition, fingerprint scanning and voice recognition) into single authentication systems will become more common. [14] AI-powered facial recognition will become more accurate and capable of detecting emotions, while contactless fingerprint scanning will offer more hygienic and secure authentication. Iris and retina scanning will expand into mobile and security applications, and behavioral biometrics, such as gait and voice recognition, will provide continuous identity verification. New developments such as frictionless biometric formats that require little or no physical contact, and multimodal systems which combine multiple biometric data sources, could also improve the reliability of biometric systems and, in turn, enhance law enforcement capabilities. [15] Rapid DNA scanning will improve forensic investigations, while multi-modal biometrics will combine multiple authentication methods for increased accuracy. Additionally, implantable biometric chips may offer seamless identity verification but will raise ethical and privacy concerns. [14]

One of the primary challenges in implementing biotechnology in jails is the lack of financial resources. [6] Before implementing emerging bio-tracked behavioral technology, sheriff offices should perform a detailed cost-benefit analysis to understand the financial implications and determine the return on investment. This analysis should include initial costs, operational and maintenance expenses, potential savings and projections of long-term financial impacts.

Gathering this information will help justify budget allocations and future investments. In combination with the cited literature and a panel brainwriting exercise conducted in 2024, the following recommendations were identified. To effectively integrate AI-enabled biometric monitoring, agencies should:

1. Identify potential risks such as data privacy breaches, technology malfunctions or staff resistance
2. Evaluate the long-term implications, such as anticipated technological advancements that may lower operational costs or require further updates
3. Calculate the expected lifespan of technology and consider future scalability and flexibility requirements
4. Develop mitigation strategies for these risks to assess how they might alter the cost-benefit scenario
5. Outline the expected benefits that bio-tracked technology could bring to the jail’s operations

In addition to logistical issues, more research and preparation must be done to address privacy and ethical concerns. Given that bio-tracking technology involves collecting and processing sensitive personal data, it is essential to establish robust privacy protections and data security measures. Agencies should develop clear policies ensuring compliance with legal standards such as GDPR or local data privacy laws and deploy advanced cybersecurity infrastructure in ways that can be tracked and audited to maintain public trust. To ensure transparency and public support, planning and implementation should include local government officials, community leaders, legal advisors and inmate advocacy groups. It will take a significant level of collaboration from these interest groups before future scenarios involving bio-tracked behavioral profiling could come to fruition.

Conclusion: Advancing with accountability

Today, technology is advancing at an ever-accelerating pace, as seen through the propagation of mobile and wireless technology, high-powered computing, visual and audio technology, advanced analytics and other advancements [16]. The future integration of bio-tracked behavioral profiles in California’s county jails carries significant life-saving implications. At its core, it is designed to foster a safer and more responsive environment for tackling health and welfare issues among inmates.

Bio-tracked behavioral profiling in local and county jails is poised to become a cornerstone of inmate management, balancing innovation with the need for ethical oversight. As technology advances, bio-tracking will allow correctional facilities to monitor inmate behavior, mental health and physiological responses in real-time. Wearable and contactless biometric sensors will enhance monitoring accuracy, while multi-modal biometrics will strengthen identity verification and security measures. However, these advancements also raise ethical and legal concerns, particularly regarding privacy, consent and data security. Striking a balance between technology-driven safety and the protection of inmate rights will be crucial. Moving forward, policymakers must establish clear regulations to ensure bio-tracking is used responsibly, fostering a safer and more humane correctional environment.

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This article is based on research conducted as a part of the CA POST Command College. It is a futures study of a particular emerging issue of relevance to law enforcement. Its purpose is not to predict the future; rather, to project a variety of possible scenarios useful for planning and action in anticipation of the emerging landscape facing policing organizations.

The article was created using the futures forecasting process of Command College and its outcomes. Managing the future means influencing it — creating, constraining and adapting to emerging trends and events in a way that optimizes the opportunities and minimizes the threats of relevance to the profession.

References

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6. Office of Justice Programs. Understanding and reducing deaths in custody: Final research report (NCJ 310060). 2025 Jan.
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12. Bloomberg Law. Prison operator GEO hit with workers’ fingerprint privacy suit. 2018
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14. HID Global. What’s on the horizon: 10 biometric trends for 2025. 2025.
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About the author

Captain Cameron Henderson started his career with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office in 2007. Cameron received his bachelor’s degree from Cal State University of Northridge in 2005, majoring in Pan-African Studies (Sociology). After joining the Sheriff’s Office, Cameron continued his education by receiving his master’s degree in Leadership and Organizational Studies from Azusa Pacific University. During his time with the Sheriff’s Office, Cameron has worked a variety of assignments including Narcotics, Academy Instructor, Firearms Instructor, SWAT, Sex Crimes and Homicide Detective. Prior to joining the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, Captain Cameron Henderson spent 7 years working with Severely Emotionally Disturbed (SED) at risk youth throughout the county as a counselor and manager at Casa Pacifica in Camarillo. Cameron utilized his background in mental health to create the Sheriff’s Office Homeless Liaison Unit (HLU) to help address the ever-growing needs of our vulnerable population county wide.