Maury County has received initial approval for a $14,800 federal grant in order to track inmates. The inmates will be wearing wristbands printed with barcodes and their photo. The barcode on the wristband will be scanned when the inmate arrives and departs. The barcode system will also confirm that the correct medication and dosage is being given to the inmates, much like how
barcode wristbands are used in hospitals.
Other counties have implemented systems similar to the one in Maury County to track inmates and have found a great deal of success. In some counties, when an inmate would need to go to a court hearing or some other function outside of the prison, inmates would be held in processing for days at a time. This caused issues because inmates might not receive the normal amenities that would need to be provided, such as three meals a day, any necessary medications, etc. The barcode solution has helped reduce the amount of time that it takes to process an inmate as well as other benefits. Yet another example of how barcode technology can be beneficial.