Allegheny County Jail integrates OverWatch

"The Allegheny County Jail is now using real-time biometric screening to monitor medically vulnerable incarcerated people.

Called OverWatch, the technology comes in the form of devices worn on the wrist. It was created by 4Sight Labs.

The screening can be used on those going through detox, on suicide watch or being housed in other high-acuity units, the jail announced Monday.

“When we began this process, we understood that the technology we selected would be responsible for protecting some of the most vulnerable individuals in our facility, and that is not a responsibility we took lightly,” said Holly Martin, deputy warden of healthcare services.

The jail bought 100 devices, which will be placed on any new arrival that meets the criteria, she said.

OverWatch measures heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, skin temperature, stress levels, sleep quality and more.

The metrics provide a “complete, continuous picture” of the incarcerated person’s condition, as well as real-time monitoring.

With the technology, jail staff do not have to rely on self-reporting from people “who may be unable or unwilling to communicate their own conditions,” the jail said.

“The deployment will support enhanced safety, real-time monitoring, and operational visibility within the county’s corrections environment,” said 4Sight Labs CEO David Sanders.

OverWatch has a 14-day battery life.

OverWatch is currently being used in more than 80 corrections facilities in 18 states, according to the company’s website.

It has collected more than 4 million hours of biometric monitoring data from more than 50,000 people who are incarcerated.

Of those, it has documented more than 174 verified life-saving responses by corrections agencies, the county said.

The contract to 4Sight Labs was awarded in March. The cost for the equipment was $105,190.72, while the annual service fees for monitoring and generating reports is $211,750, the jail said."

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Original press release here.