Your post sounds like your looking for a computerized system to keep track of things. I don’t deal with that stuff at all, so I can’t help you out. I take it for granted that you’ve already talked with other facilities in your area, and they don’t have anything like what your looking for.

There are quite a few corrections-type trade magazines out there, and they would surely have what you’re looking for… depending on your budget.

Sorry I can’t be of any help.

From our readers:
Dear Tool,

I’ve worked in Corrections for over Fifteen Years and in many different departments. Didn’t you ever take a shop class or woodworking class in High School? If you can’t figure out how to control the tools in your department you are a danger to everyone in that facility, Inmate and Officer. You should look for another job that will suite you better.

Pete

I am a new Officer at a county prison. I dont know of the exact paperwork that is used. However I do know that each and every work area in which tools need to be accounted for such as the kitchen and the maintenance areas use shadowboards. The Lead officer in the area finds that a tool is needed, and requests it through the prison. Once it is received and tagged/marked it is added to the appropriate area’s tool shadowboard. The Shadow board is labeled as to what tool goes where as well as a brightly painted shadow of the tool is on the board in that location. For example the hammer is hung and outlined then the outline is painted bright orange. Once ready the hammer is hung in this location as labeled and covers that shadow. At a glance an officer can see that a particular tool is missing from the shadowboard. Then the officer can check a log showing hammer issued to I/M worker smith or officer jones etc on X date, or if the log shows that the tool was returned and not signed out again then an investigation would ensue to locate the tool.

I hope this helps out with your system.

RIE

I work in a 550 bed, campus style facility housing min – max custody prisoners. We are trying to get a good grip on our tool procedures. We have apretty good daily control and inventory process. I need to find a good database to put in place to track the tools, toolboards, receipt, loss & destruction of tools & sharps. Does anybody have something that they use I can look at? Thanks