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From staff reports

 

On Oct. 1 the Jessamine County Detention Center began

using a new tool that will not only increase the level of security that the agency

provides to the public, but will also assist local law enforcement agencies in

solving a number of their cases.

Currently the detention center utilizes jail management software called Jail Tracker, which manages all aspects of the facility.

Jessamine County Jailer Jon Sallee said, “Recently, deputies attended a

training seminar hosted by the software company where they made participants

aware of a new tool that they are offering, facial recognition software. The new

software integrates mugshots of all offenders that have been housed in our

facility and creates a database which can be searched using a current

photograph.”

Sallee said often times an offender will be brought into the JCDC by local

law enforcement and officers are unable to identify the subject that they have

arrested.

“Thanks to this new software we will be able to search for the person

by their photograph to identify them, as long as they have been incarcerated in

our facility at some time,” Sallee said.

This software will also be utilized by JCDC deputy

jailers when releasing an inmate from the facility’s custody as an added step to ensure the

correct inmate is being released.

“Facial Recognition Software will also be available to local law enforcement to search for the identity of individuals involved in criminal acts,” Sallee said. “Coming from a background in law enforcement, I know first-hand the difficulties in identifying a subject involved in a crime, many times law enforcement may have a picture from a surveillance camera and now with this new software we can assist in locating the perpetrator.”

Sallee said the facility has experimented with the software and has taken photographs over 20 years old where the person’s appearance has changed tremendously and the software immediately matches the inmate with their new photograph.

“I am very excited to implement the new software to not only provide a safer facility for the community but to work hand in hand with local law enforcement to solve cases of

theft and other offenses in Jessamine County,” Sallee said.