Wednesday, November 22, 2000
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Wednesday, November 22, 2000 |
| Web site helps track
Georgia's prisoners
By JOHN
MUNFORD A web site for the Georgia Department of Corrections now gives local residents a chance to view the incarceration status of any state prisoner. The web site links users to information on inmates, including the prisons they're incarcerated at, their projected release dates and a mug shot of each inmate. A special feature allows users to search for inmates who will be released within two weeks or who were released within the past two weeks. Web surfers must first click on "inmate query page" and once there, they must plug in information to search for a particular inmate. Searches can also be performed for a list of inmates sorted by the type of offense they're jailed for or the county the offense was committed in. According to the Department of Corrections, the web site has been used by law enforcement agencies to keep track of high-risk offenders such as sex offenders. It also helps crime victims stay involved in the judicial process even after the conviction is secured, said Jim Wetherington, Georgia's commissioner of the Department of Corrections. "Members of Georgia's law enforcement are telling me again and again that our web site has become a valuable addition to their investigation capabilities, and that's a very good thing," Wetherington said. "It also pleases me that victims and their advocates are learning that they can use the web to track the status of a prisoner at any time." The inmate query page has been one of the most popular areas of the department's web site, generating over eight million hits. The site also includes information on the department, a virtual tour of a state prison and a chance to apply for a job at the department while online. The site is part of the department's efforts to provide the public with more information about the Georgia correctional system. "We must seek out new and innovative ways to assist not only my department, but other agencies as well, in fulfilling our mission to inform and protect our citizens," Wetherington said. "Judging by the response to our web page, I think we've made a good start."
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