Understanding the Logic
One early flaw in NEPRC’s deployment of RFID technology was the absence of a well-articulated logic model. Quite simply, a logic model asks the question, “How is the technology supposed to work?” Answering that question thoroughly will increase the odds that users deploy the technology as intended. In the case of NEPRC, this would have entailed conversations with all staff members about the nature, frequency, and context of their most challenging threats to safety and security. These conversations should have taken place well before NEPRC deployed the RFIDs and should
When we evaluate criminal justice technology, we must
understand both the capacity of the technology and how people
use it. Focusing on one at the expense of the other can render
the entire evaluation effort futile.
NIJ Journal / Issue No. 278 May 2017 3
National Institute of Justice | www.NIJ.gov
In the case of the NEPRC RFID evaluation, the prison — unbeknownst to us, the researchers — had never fully implemented the technology’s exclusionary zone features, which, theoretically, would yield the greatest deterrent effect. Moreover, halfway into the deployment period, we learned that the system was inoperable and that, as a result, officers had stopped equipping new inmates with bracelets.
That these incidents occurred and took several months for us to discover represents a failure on the part of all involved parties. The prison should have been monitoring and documenting the technology’s usage weekly, if not daily. And we should have requested that documentation throughout the course of our evaluation.
Ongoing Assessment
Ongoing assessment and impact evaluation are also critical. The former allows for midcourse corrections and relies on the types of fidelity metrics described above. The latter can help guide decisions about continued financial investment in the technology and possible expansion to other facilities.
We have established the value of partnering with a local researcher prior to deploying the technology.
have included detailed discussions of the technology’s capabilities and training and operational requirements.
Table 1 presents one example of a simplistic RFID logic model, which can help identify the main uses of the RFIDs. It also helps underscore the critical role of human interaction with the technology. For example, even if a prison sets appropriate exclusionary zones and equips 100 percent of its inmates with RFID bracelets, the technology is unlikely to have an impact if officers do not respond to system alerts that are generated when inmates are out of place or in close proximity to prohibited people.