The EKU Justice and Safety Center and the new Rural Law Enforcement Technology Center in Hazard have deployed a new advanced surveillance technology system at the Three Forks Regional Jail in Beattyville.

JAILER (Jail Assessment Initiative for Law Enforcement Emergency Response) allows jail personnel to remotely monitor and control security cameras using desktop computers and wireless handheld devices. JAILER is funded by the United States Department of Justice National Institute of Justice, Office of Science and Technology.

The Three Forks correctional facility, which serves Lee, Wolfe and Owsley counties, was chosen based on the new facility's infrastructure and personnel's willingness to participate as a national technology test site.

"For many rural correctional facilities, limited financial resources make it difficult to employ adequate personnel to consistently monitor all locations within the facility," said Three Forks Regional Jail Administrator Jeff Robinson. "The JAILER concept solves this problem by acting as a 'force multiplier,' allowing jail personnel to be mobile while monitoring the security system. We look forward to partnering with the Justice and Safety Center and the Rural Law Enforcement Technology Center to serve as a test bed for this technology."

The JAILER system, based on Intrynsyc Software's Cerf™Cube reference design, Microsoft's CE.NET embedded operating system and the .NET Compact Framework, is designed for scalability so extra cameras can easily be incorporated by adding inexpensive Ethernet routers or hubs and all data can be retrieved over a secure wireless network.

After rigorous evaluation by EKU's Justice and Safety Center to ensure that software and hardware meets the quality and security needs of the public safety and security community, results will be forwarded to the National Institute of Justice for national dissemination. The technology will remain at Three Forks after the evaluation has been completed.

Neil McDonnell, Intrynsyc president and CEO, called JAILER "an excellent example of how Intrinsyc's advanced technology can be combined with existing products to accelerate functionality and improve operational efficiencies. We are proud to provide … innovative solutions that ensure public safety and security."

By taking advantage of the seamless network integration found in Windows CE.NET, the JAILER system "helps raise the bar for surveillance technology," said Scott Horn, director of the Embedded and Appliance Platforms Group at Microsoft Corp.

For more information about the system, contact Ryan Baggett at EKU's Justice and Safety Center, 859-622-8261, Rod Maggard at the Rural Law Enforcement Technology Center, 606-436-8848, or Jeff Robinson at the Three Forks Jail, 606-464-2598.