Glossary of Terms

An individual under community supervision that knowingly:

• Fails to report for supervision,
• Leaves a designated residence or other scheduled mandatory location while under house arrest,
• Removes or disables a monitoring or tracking device

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GPS location monitoring with regularly scheduled reporting of tracking data utilizing a cellular communications network while the client is moving about the community. Most Active GPS tracking systems increase the reporting frequency when a violation is reported.

With On Board Intelligence, iSECUREtrac's GPS systems store inclusion and exclusion zones within the tracking unit. Once a location is determined, the unit compares its location to those zones stored in the unit. If there is a violation, it is immediately reported to the monitoring center. Violations reporting of systems without On Board Intelligence are delayed until locations are reported to the host computer for zone compliance processing.

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A random calling system used to spot check compliance with scheduled locations including home curfews schedules. These systems require the client to actively cooperate with the system during the random check to confirm their presence.

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Activities that occur when a breach of supervision conditions is detected by the electronic monitoring system (e.g., GPS, house arrest, in-home alcohol monitoring). An alert record is stored in the host computer system, and the supervising officer and/or client notified of the alert condition.

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GPS is a satellite based positioning system. Assisted GPS, or A-GPS was introduced to enhance performance using an Assistance Server which:

• Can locate the GPS receiver roughly by what cell site it is connected to on the cellular network.
• Has a good satellite signal, and lots of computation power, so it can compare fragmentary signals relayed to it by the GPS receiver, with the satellite signal it receives directly, and then inform the GPS receiver of its position.
• Can supply orbital data for the GPS satellites to the receiver, enabling it to lock to the satellites when it otherwise could not and autonomously calculate its position.
• Can have better knowledge of ionospheric conditions and other errors affecting the GPS signal than the receiver alone, enabling more precise calculation of position. (See also Wide Area Augmentation System) Network assisted vs. network based.

Some A-GPS receivers/systems require an active connection to a cell phone (or other data) network to function, in others it simply makes positioning faster and more accurate, but is not required.

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Involves the receipt of GPS signals by a GPS receiver and computation of GPS location without the assistance of any external resources like a monitoring center or cell tower.

iSECUREtrac GPS systems have the ability to compute GPS locations autonomously.

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Defendant, Offender, Juvenile delinquent, and other persons being supervised in the community.

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Cooperative purchasing involves sharing contracts between or among government agencies. "True" Cooperative Contracts are formed when two or more agencies agree to combine their requirements, solicit and evaluate competitive proposals/bids, and award a contract. Quantities are aggregated among all contracting entities to produce volume discounts.

With "Piggyback" contracts, one agency enters into a contract that includes an option to allow other agencies to use the contract. Quantities do not aggregate among agencies that piggyback off the contract.

In both cases (True and Piggyback cooperative contracts) the contractor bills each cooperating agency individually. Modifications to the contract terms required by each cooperating agency are negotiated on a contract by contract basis.

Cooperative purchasing allows agencies to share workload, costs and expertise associated with the procurement and dispute resolution. Use of existing agreements provides an expeditious cost-effective way for agencies to avoid complex and lengthy procurements.

iSECUREtrac systems, software and services are available through numerous co-operative purchasing agreements including GSA and US Communities.

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Location equipped with a Monitoring Services System that is staffed and managed by a government agency to provide monitoring services to support officers supervising clients assigned to electronic supervision (home curfew or GPS tracking)

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Secured ankle transmitter used to tether the client to a home based, mobile, or tracking receiver.

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Provides an estimate of current location derived by applying simple calculations to a last known location and observed speed and direction.

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Refers to a technique for improving the accuracy of conventional satellite positioning by transmitting a "correction signal" from a fixed ground station that represents the difference between the GPS-derived location and the station and the known location of the station.

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GPS acquisition usually refers to how long it takes to gather signals from enough GPS satellites to determine a location once the GPS receiver is initially turned on.

GPS re-acquisition refers to how long it takes a receiver to re-acquire signals from enough GPS satellites once the receiver has been unable to receive a GPS signal and can now receive signals. A receiver may have not been able to receive signals because it was in a building, tunnel, other construction or under dense foliage.

Re-acquisition is always much faster than original acquisition because the receiver "remembers" the last known locations of GPS satellites.

iSECUREtrac receivers are among the fastest in the industry as measured by both GPS acquisition and re-acquisition.

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A geographic area that the client is prohibited from entering. Exclusion zones may be used to delineate a victim's home or work-place, or for sex offenders and child victimizers, playgrounds and elementary schools.

iSECUREtrac stores both exclusion and inclusion zones and schedules in Personal Tracking Units (PTU) carried by the supervised individual. As GPS locations are calculated, the PTU compares its location to the zones stored in the unit. If there is a violation, the PTU can alert the client real-time and automatically sends an alert to the host computer.

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Refers to a confinement of a client in their home. House arrest usually refers to conditions that require the client to remain in the home 24 hours a day except when they are required to be at work or in court.

Home curfew usually refers to conditions that require the client to remain at home during scheduled periods. A client under house arrest may be allowed to leave Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM. The same client under home curfew may be allowed to leave the home every day from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM. If the monitored individual violates these conditions, an alert is sent to the supervising officer and automatically logged into the client's history.

Typically, house arrest relies upon RF technology to monitor the individual's presence at a required location because GPS signals are more difficult to receive indoors.

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Hybrid GPS tracking systems use the tracking unit's cellular communications capabilities while the client is moving about the community. They transmit tracking data less frequently than active GPS but more frequently than passive. Hybrid systems report violations immediately upon detection whereas Passive systems report violations during the next scheduled call or when the client returns home.

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Hybrid monitoring systems combine RF Home Curfew or House Arrest systems with random calling. These systems were very popular during the 1980's and early 1990's when RF tether capabilities were less reliable than they are today. Random calling provided a back-up method to confirm the client's compliance with home curfew when the RF system reported an unauthorized leave.

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A defined geographic area where a monitored individual is required to be during specific time periods. Supervising officers receive alerts when the individual is not within the "inclusion zone" during specified time periods. Inclusion zones typically include residence, work, job training and counseling sessions.

One of the major advantages of GPS monitoring compared to other forms of electronic surveillance is its ability to confirm participation in required rehabilitation classes and/or counseling, and for juvenile programs to monitor school attendance.

Onboard Intelligence allows iSECUREtrac's Passive and Active PTU's to compute locations and detect inclusion zone violations, notify the client via PTU alarms immediately, and automatically send alerts to the monitoring host computer.

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An invitation to bid (ITB) is used for competitive procurements. The (ITB) specifies the minimum product, service, and contractual requirements that must be met to be considered for award. Proposals are reviewed to eliminate any that do not meet the minimum requirements. Proposals are then ranked by cost with award going to the lowest cost solution.

ITB's work well for commodity products and services. The process ensures that agencies (and taxpayers) receive the lowest cost product that meets the agency requirements.

GPS tracking products are not commodities. Diverse technologies and designs produce systems that use different approaches to satisfy agency's needs. By using an ITB or IFB, agencies often unintentionally severely limit competition. Reducing competing technologies to an evaluation based strictly on price may not be in the best interest of the agency's ultimate goal: public safety and individual re-habilitation.

On the other hand, the RFP process allows agencies to evaluate products with a variety of designs and their impact on supervision and operating costs.

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Location where a manufacturer or contractor uses a Monitoring Services System to provide customer, monitoring and reporting services.

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Services provided to support officers supervising clients enrolled in electronic monitoring (home curfew or GPS tracking).

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Computers or workstations used by monitoring staff to access client, equipment, and location compliance information from a host computer. These systems often include a telephone system that creates digitized records of all calls made to and from the center.

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GPS tracking units that store zone and schedule rules, and compare tracking location data to these rules real-time to determine client compliance even when unable to communicate with the host for prolonged periods of time.

Both the iSECUREtrac System 5000 and iSECUREtrac Active and Passive GPS (Models 2250 and 2150) include on-board intelligence.

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Consists of one or more physically separate devices. One device remains with the client and is securely attached 24 hours a day. This device gathers and stores tracking information and communicates these data to the central host computer.

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Defendant, Offender, Juvenile delinquent, and other persons being supervised in the community.

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Passive GPS systems only report tracking and monitoring to the host computer through home installed equipment when the client returns home. Most passive systems send data via landline communication, however passive systems may interface cellular communications.

Active tracking units are often offered for Passive tracking applications by limiting communications from the PTU to the host computer to once daily and when the PTU is at home.

iSECUREtrac provides both landline and cellular passive systems.

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Refers to RF home curfew monitoring; the client wears a secured transmitter that tethers to a home installed monitoring receiver. The client is not required to actively interact with the monitoring equipment.

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The portable component of a two piece tracking unit that is worn or carried by the client and is used to acquire GPS location signals.

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Refers to any frequency within the wireless communications electromagnetic spectrum associated with radio waves (Radio Frequency). In the EM industry historically RF implies transmitting at 300 400 or 900 spectrum.

When an RF signal and antenna work together, a field is created in which data can travel wirelessly. Within the context of electronic monitoring, RF typically refers to the electronic tether between the transmitter and home receiver, or between the transmitter and Portable Tracking Units. These signals are usually transmitted at frequencies in the 300, 400, and 900 bands. For two piece and some one-piece GPS systems, IF the receiver no longer detects the signal then the location of the client is uncertain, and an alert is automatically sent to the monitoring center and supervising officer.

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A request for proposal (RFP) is used for competitive procurements. It specifies the characteristics of the desired solution and may include some mandatory requirements.

Evaluation criteria are established and points are assigned to areas considered to be most important. A methodology is developed to evaluate and score proposals. The highest scored proposal is awarded the contract.

With standard Requests for Proposals, proposed price is identified as one of the criteria and included in the scores.

With Two-Step RFP's, pricing information is submitted in a separate sealed envelope. The evaluation committee scores the proposals based on all criteria except price. Once scored, several of the highest scores are selected. Price proposals for the selected submissions are then opened. Award is made either to the lowest priced bidder, or points may be assigned to pricing and highest scored proposal among those selected is awarded the contract.

Sometimes, prior to award, the top proposals are selected and invited for oral presentations and/or to submit products for a brief testing period. Once complete, the original scores are revised and final scores are tabulated. The highest scored proposal is awarded the contract.

It is much more likely that an agency will meet its performance requirements and better satisfy its mission through an RFP than an ITB. However, the process can be very time consuming and expensive.

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Secured ankle transmitter used to tether the client to a home based, mobile, or tracking receiver.

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One-Piece tracking unit Ankle bracelet that includes GPS receiver and cellular communications technologies.

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The time between computed GPS locations. The shorter the tracking interval, the greater the frequency of location points With a greater number of points, a supervising officer is better able to determine the speed, direction and pattern of movement for a monitored individual. In addition, shorter tracking intervals typically result in quicker notifications of violations.

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Consists of two or more physically separate devices; two remain with the client at all times. The first must be securely attached to the client 24 hours a day; the second is clipped, carried, or kept close by the client at all times. At least one of these devices is able to sense the proximity of the other and will record a violation should its proximity to the other exceed a specified distance. At least one of these devices gathers and stores tracking information; at least one communicates tracking and status data to a central host computer or interfaces to another device that that communicates with the host.

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Ultra-active GPS can be defined as a GPS monitoring system that has on-board intelligence, stores more than 2 points a minute, uses cellular communications to report tracking data while the client is moving about the community and reports tracking points via landline if all tracks have not been reported when the tracking unit returns home.

The iSECUREtrac System 5000 is an ultra-active GPS system.

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