Louisiana DOC, jails use Thinkstream’s ITEC system in successful inmate evacuation during Hurricanes Gustav, Ike

Baton Rouge, LA, October 23, 2008 – The state Department of Corrections touted a “first of its kind” jail management system and fine-tuned planning and coordination by local sheriff’s offices as key components in the successful evacuation of over 8,000 inmates during Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, a spokesperson for the agency said.

The evacuation during Gustav and Ike contrasted starkly to the situation when Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit three years ago, because most of the coordination had to be done manually, making it a slow and difficult task. The experiences of the law enforcement community following those storms led to a real need for an integrated jail management system that would prevent communication glitches and allow these agencies to protect the public as well as inmates during future disasters and inmate evacuations.

Thinkstream, Inc., a leading software development firm based in Baton Rouge, was selected to provide a system that would link the state’s 64 parish jail systems with the Louisiana Department of Correction’s jail facilities. The Inmate Tracking and Emergency Classification System, or ITEC, enables these agencies to electronically share information about an inmate in order to positively identify and classify them according to their crime and special needs so they are relocated to the proper facility.

The ITEC system helped prevent the backlog and misidentification incidents of relocating such a large number of inmates because it allowed the secure exchange of data between agencies on demand, in real time, officials said.

One particular feature of the system that officials said helped to ensure a more rapid and secure evacuation during last month’s storms was the “inmate tracking sheet”, which provided officials at the receiving facilities with vital information and photo of the inmate in advance of the transfer.

Before Hurricane Gustav, nearly 8,000 inmates from 14 coastal parish jail facilities had to be evacuated to other facilities, and the following week prior to Hurricane Ike’s landfall, 900 inmates from Cameron and Calcasieu Parish were evacuated. The ITEC system allowed for overall better planning and coordination among the sheriff offices and the state DOC, which, in turn ensured the success of both transfers.

Thinkstream’s Integrated Justice and E-Justice solutions provide the backbone for the system, said Thinkstream President and CEO Barry Bellue. Inmate information gathered, beginning at the time of booking and throughout the inmate’s incarceration is stored in a secure and remote location where the DOCs databases will be mirrored and made redundant, he said.

The Thinkstream ITEC system was designed to ensure a more productive and streamlined information flow between jail systems and correctional facilities while providing instant access to information such as an inmate’s criminal background and behavior, or a jail’s population, said Bellue, adding that this is “vitally important when these agencies are relocating inmates.”

“The ITEC system makes it capable for our state law enforcement officials to execute a major, in fact, an entire inmate evacuation, in a timely, organized and safe manner,” he said.

The system can also be used for daily inmate management and agency to agency transfers, and offers access to comprehensive “rap” sheets including national crime charges, jail history records, medical information, disciplinary records and other related inmate information.

“We’re honored to work with our state’s law enforcement communities - they do a monumental service protecting us everyday and during a disaster so when asked to provide this type of system we were determined to deliver, and we know we did,” Bellue said.

“Evacuating thousands of inmates during a major hurricane is a daunting task. The coordination and decision-making among law enforcement agencies during Gustav and Ike resulted in not only a successful mission, but a safer environment for all of us,” he said.

About Thinkstream
Thinkstream Inc., a leading software development company based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, specializes in criminal justice applications that tie agencies together securely giving them the ability to rapidly share critical information across organizational, agency and geographic boundaries. The company has linked over 150 agencies in eight regions of the state of Louisiana, making it the largest civil and criminal information network in the nation. The company also operates systems in California, Florida and Texas.

CEO Barry Bellue, who also founded Fifth Generation Systems, a national top 20 software company acquired by Symantec, established Thinkstream over ten years ago. Mr. Bellue heads a team of engineers with over 60 years combined experience in designing Web-based integrated information networks for businesses and criminal justice agencies across the nation.

Thinkstream Inc. is an active member of the Internet Working Group for Justice Integration Committee. Established by the U.S. Department of Justice, committee members contribute their knowledge and experience to promote and implement integrated information systems (IJIS) throughout the country.

For more information contact:

Barry L. Bellue, Sr.
President and CEO
Thinkstream, Inc.
Email: bbellue@thinkstream.com
Phone: (225) 291-5440

Paul San Soucie
Vice President of Customer Relations
Thinkstream, Inc.
Email: pauls@thinkstream.com
Phone: (225) 291-5440
Fax: (225) 291-9141


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