LAFAYETTE, La. — The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office in Lafayette recently began using a smartphone-based app to better track inmates sentenced to participate in a GPS tracking program. The app promises to provide greater ease and security in inmate monitoring via a widely used and easily accessible device.
The parish has partnered with Telmate, a San Francisco-based company, and is now using the firm’s Guardian app.
The app is described in a statement by the company as a technically advanced, low-cost, GPS monitoring solution for low-risk populations in community corrections. Community correction includes pre-trial, work release, probation and parole.“The adoption of Telmate Guardian will give Lafayette the opportunity to have a low-cost alternative to supervise low risk offenders while getting more data about their whereabouts and behaviors,” said Rob Reardon, director of corrections for the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, in a statement.