Hollidaysburg, PA – July 1, 2018
Time flies when you’re solving crimes. In the one year since CIDNET was installed in Blair County Prison, Encartele’s software has already helped law enforcement foil an arson/murder plot, according to Charlotte Ames of WTAJ.
By monitoring calls coming from the prison, the Blair County District Attorney’s office gained enough evidence to levy charges against a 23-year-old Pennsylvanian detainee.
Greg Bock of the Altoona Mirror reports that the detainee was already facing a child rape case when he allegedly used the inmate phones at Blair County to contact his friend and his mother to solicit them to retaliate against the victim witnesses in his trial.
Because Encartele’s inmate phone platform records both sides of every call, investigators were able to turn the detainee’s own words against him. This strategy was confirmed according to Detective Randy Feathers.
In addition to aiding law enforcement officers’ efforts to catch offenders, Encartele has provided a kiosk to aid Blair County’s large portion of inmates suffering from mental health disorders. According to Bruce Erb of the Altoona Mirror, 36 percent of the 281 inmates in the facility had a mental health diagnosis prior to incarceration. Encartele’s kiosk is used by inmates to request mental health after care.
Recently, Blair County promoted one of their own to the office of warden. Abbie Tate, former treatment supervisor and organizer of the facility’s work release program, has recently been hired as the first female warden of Blair County Prison, following Michael Johnston’s retirement.
Tate has been working in and around the facility for 13 years and has been the primary point of contact between the prison and Encartele. She was also deputy warden of the facility during its transition process.
“Switching to Encartele has helped make our facility more efficient due to their outstanding support and service.”
While Tate has long supported the county’s technological innovation, she’s also consistently advocated for reform. Before becoming warden, she organized and managed the facility’s work-release program.
More about Encartele Inc
Encartele is an inmate telephone company and telecommunications equipment supplier based in La Vista, Nebraska. Their mission is to develop and deliver innovative technology solutions to correctional agencies. Encartele’s many years of experience in this industry provides them with a unique perspective on the needs of correctional facilities – especially when it comes to the untapped efficiencies therein.