The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has begun using wearable biometric sensors to track the vital signs of certain inmates at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, a move the agency says is aimed at catching medical emergencies before they become fatal.
The new system, called OverWatch, addresses a challenge facing detention facilities across the country, where in-custody deaths related to drug addiction withdrawal, serious medical conditions, and suicide remain ongoing concerns. While jails already rely on surveillance cameras, wellness checks, and routine rounds, the OverWatch system adds a layer of real-time health monitoring that can alert staff to problems as they begin to develop.
Inmates who meet certain criteria at the time of booking will be fitted with the biosensors. Those criteria include individuals recently cleared by a hospital for jail intake, those showing signs of drug addiction withdrawal, those presenting an elevated suicide risk, or those with a complicated medical history. The tamper-resistant devices are worn on the wrist or ankle and continuously track heart rate, blood oxygen levels, skin temperature, and motion. The data is collected on a secure platform and transmitted wirelessly to jail nursing staff, which flags dangerous changes from an inmate’s normal health baseline.
A sudden spike in heart rate, for example, could indicate an inmate is withdrawing from addiction or overdosing after hiding drugs in their body. A sudden drop could signal a cardiac event. In emergency situations, the system also includes real-time location tracking so staff can quickly reach an inmate in distress.
“Often people arrested do not have healthy lifestyles and haven’t seen a doctor in years,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Inmates may be going through addiction withdrawal or because of their addiction have caused significant and undiagnosed damage to their major organs. Inmates can feel hopeless in life or when they are facing significant prison time, which increases the likelihood of suicide in jails. This new technology provides our detention staff and our on-site medical team with the ability to proactively monitor an inmate’s health at no cost to the taxpayer.”
The program is being funded through inmate welfare funds and carries no cost to taxpayers. The OverWatch biosensors are intended to complement existing monitoring practices, not replace required patrol rounds or direct staff supervision.
More information about the OverWatch system is available at 4sightlabs.com/overwatch and through a video overview at youtube.com.
