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Maine, New Brunswick using Award-winning Technology

This technology supports jail management, community-based corrections, victim services and features a case-management system that aids in integrating offenders back into society.

TORONTO - A prominent Canadian technology award has been given to the New Brunswick Department of Public Safety for an offender-management system built by Xwave.

The innovation was acclaimed at the 2002 Canadian Information Productivity Awards (CIPA), the largest business-awards program in Canada in the field of information management. The technology is also being used in Maine.

The CIPA in the Government category was awarded for New Brunswick's offender-related client information system (CIS). The CIS connects New Brunswick's Community and Correctional Services with numerous provincial and federal justice-related organizations. It supports jail management, community-based corrections, victim services, and features a case-management system that aids in the reintegration of offenders back into society. As well, an interface with the federal Offender-Management System enables the transfer of demographics; physical-appearance information; digital photographs; security and medical alerts; sentence-related information for federally incarcerated offenders; and victim-impact statements related to parole hearings. Fully bilingual, the CIS allows users to share offender information more efficiently, vastly improving public-safety communication as a result. The project began in 1998 and was completed last May at a cost of $3.4 million.

In addition, following a U.S.-wide search for solutions and integrators-and an examination of the New Brunswick model-the State of Maine's Department of Corrections contracted Xwave to build a similar system. The contract with the State of Maine has earned Xwave a 2002 Knowledge Industry Recognition Award (KIRA) for Export Services.

At a CIPA gala dinner in Toronto, New Brunswick Public Safety Minister Margaret-Ann Blaney said, "The development of the CIS project demonstrates New Brunswick's willingness and capability to succeed in today's global, knowledge-based economy. The system will provide better management and information-sharing about offenders in the community and in provincial institutions."

"This project demonstrates perfectly how a successful partnership benefits all parties involved," said Bill Davis, Vice President - Eastern Business Unit, Xwave. "The New Brunswick Department of Public Safety and Xwave have successfully pooled their talents to give New Brunswick public-safety staff the best information-sharing service available anywhere." - Jim McKay, justice editor