Features:

BI wins Missouri DOC award

BI is pleased to announce it has renewed its partnership with the Missouri Department of Corrections to provide a wide range of products and services that support probation and parole officers with community supervision efforts. The Missouri DOC, which operates one of the largest electronic monitoring programs nationwide, will incorporate BI’s GPS tracking systems, BI’s continuous alcohol monitoring system, BI TAD™, and more. Read the press release.

Sedgwick County program drops criminogenic risk 37%

The Sedgwick County Day Reporting Center, designed to relieve pressure on an overcrowded jail several years ago, is now producing excellent outcomes with offenders who complete the program. In fact, criminogenic risk levels had been cut a whopping 37% among this group, and a majority of the individuals who successfully completed the program have not been rearrested a full two years later. Check out the
case study.

BI opens cognitive behavioral program in
San Joaquin County

BI will open a new day reporting program in San Joaquin County, Calif. on May 3rd. The program is designed to target adult offenders at risk of probation failure through a combination of cognitive behavioral treatment, vocational services, substance abuse therapy and more. Read more.

Scott McCool promoted to West Coast sales manager

Scott McCool, familiar to many BI customers in the southeast, has become BI’s West Coast Sales Manager and will support customers in Washington, Oregon, California, Hawaii, Idaho and Alaska. Congratulations, Scott. Read the press release.

Transition celebrations mark new phase for offenders

Four BI cognitive behavioral programs—in Merced, Napa and Stockton, Calif. and Sedgwick County, Kan.—held transition celebrations to honor recent program graduates. If participants stay clean and follow supervision program guidelines at a BI Day Reporting Center, they participate in what is called a transition celebration, marking a move toward successful community re-integration. Local political, county, and state officials, along with families and program “graduates,” are usually on hand to mark this important milestone. See a video clip from the Sedgwick County event.

Industry News

Prison Count 2010
The state prison population experienced its first decline in 37 years. Contributing factors include advances in supervision technology and behavior-change science.
www.pewcenteronthestates.org

The Extravagance of Imprisonment Revisited
One quarter of the U.S. prison and jail inmates are serving time for non-serious or non-sexual offenses. This study suggests expanding alternatives to incarceration could have a huge impact and save almost $10 billion.
www.nccd-crc.org

Justice Reinvestment Project
The Council of State Governments launched a Justice Reinvestment project to explore options to reduce corrections spending and reinvest savings in programs that decrease crime.
www.justicereinvestment.org

BI in the News

KPLR 11, St. Louis
Anklet Checks Sweat for Alcohol—Tips off Probation Officers

KNXV-TV, Phoenix
Valley cities saving thousands with ‘home detention’

Public Opinion
Franklin County, prison honored for work with drug, alcohol addicts

The Herald-Mail
Day Reporting Center client making plans for future

Wilkes-Barre Times Leader
Center operator for nonviolent inmates picked

BI Product Training

BI offers continued product and software training for customers. To learn more about product training, please contact your local Account Representative. To learn more about software training, please contact the Monitoring Customer Service Department by calling 1-800-284-2847.

Upcoming Events:

• May 15-19 - Association of Paroling Authorities International Conference, Savannah, GA
• May 23-27 - American Jail Association Annual Conference, Portland, OR
• June 2-5 - National Association of Drug Court Professionals Conference, Boston, MA
• June 21-23 - National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center Conference, Fort Lauderdale, FL
• June 26-30 - National Sheriffs’ Association Annual Conference, Anaheim, CA
• July 16-20 - National Association of Counties Annual Conference, Reno, NV
• July 30-Aug. 4 - American Correctional Association 140th Congress of Correction, Chicago, IL
• Aug. 15-18 - American Probation and Parole Association 35th Annual Training Institute, Washington, DC

Inside BI:

Matt Wirtner

Eastern Regional Manager







Q. Tell us a little about your background. How did you come to work for BI?

A. After graduating from Indiana University I went to work for the Allen County Sheriff’s Department in Fort Wayne. I started as a resident advisor and worked my way up to unit supervisor where I was responsible for the operation of a 75-bed, work-release facility. I worked for the Sheriff in Allen County nearly nine years. I also did some private consulting for a short time in Fort Wayne around a local alternative sentencing initiative. In 1999, BI was in the process of opening an offender-funded misdemeanor electronic monitoring program and recruited me to open the office. I began with the company on March 1, 1999.

Q. Since working in the Fort Wayne office, your role at BI has expanded. Tell us about these changes.

A. Shortly after becoming the program manager in Fort Wayne, I began overseeing an offender-funded electronic monitoring program in Luzerne County, Pa. In 2001, I decided to relocate to northeast Pennsylvania with BI, expanding my experience in operations and business development in other markets.  In 2006, we opened our first county day reporting center, which expanded my experience into the day reporting arena.  In March 2009, BI regionalized the New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania offices and created the position of eastern regional manager, a job I accepted a year ago.

Q. What is your top priority as a regional manager?

A. One of my top priorities is to better organize the talent and resources within BI’s eastern offices and leverage it from office to office to address the challenges we – and our customers – face each day in this field. The principles that guide effective offender risk management are becoming more refined and validated. The challenge is operationalizing evidence-based practices more efficiently so that BI continues to be the leader in offender supervision and treatment.

Q. What are some of the more common challenges customers describe to you and how do you overcome them?

A. In this down economy, federal, state and local officials have become more aware and more supportive of the need for alternative sentencing options and quality, evidence-based reentry programs. Officials are very aware of the cost benefits these programs can have, even though the general public may not be there yet. For those able to educate their constituency well, and gain acceptance for alternatives to incarceration, the rewards have been very positive.

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