Detention center using eye scans to track inmates

ATLANTA — New technology at the Atlanta Detention Center is making it easier to identify who’s really being booked into jail.

The center is using an eye scan. A digital camera now takes a picture of your iris and records it into a national database. It’s much like a fingerprint for your eye.

“It’s us being able to identify the bad guys quicker, more efficiently,” Chief Patrick Labat said.

The maker of the eye scan, BI2 Technologies CEO Sean Mullin, says fingerprinting alone isn’t as reliable and takes longer.

“There are still many, many instances where the time period, they've actually had to release a person before they got back confirmation on who that person is,” Mullin said.

“Fingerprints can be altered intentionally or unintentionally. If you spent a career working as a mason, for example, it’s very likely that your fingerprints are worn off. If on the other hand you’re in a drug cartel, it’s very likely you could have had surgery to distort the fingerprints.”

The system also has the capability to be expanded for use outside the jail. With a mobile eye scan device, officers would be able to take a picture of a suspect’s iris in the field and know exactly who that suspect is. The eye scan will not take the place of traditional fingerprinting; it’s in addition to it. The initial implementation cost is $20,000. Labat says an investment well worth the cost.

“We've had individuals come in with 10, 15, 20 different alias names,” Labat said. “This allows us to hone and match all of those records to one individual.”

Now, if someone comes through the jail who is wanted elsewhere, officers will know.

“The quicker we get the information back, the safer the environment is,” Labat said.

The Atlanta Detention Center just started using the technology earlier this year. So far, officers have entered 11,000 people into the system and they've flagged 45 people with arrests in other areas.

WSBTV