Download the Case Study here.
Queensland spans 1.85 million square kilometres (1.14 million square miles), making it Australia’s second-largest state. This diverse and rugged region contains rainforests, mountains, deserts, and savanna, hosting 5.5 million people.
Queensland Corrective Services (QCS) manages 17 correctional facilities and oversees around 18,000 offenders on community supervision orders.
The QCS legacy kiosk system was failing and was failing, complicating efforts to manage offenders in the community across the State, burdening officers and ultimately hindering efforts to lower recidivism and increase levels of compliance.
The Solution: Modern Community Corrections
To tackle these challenges, Optimation created the Connect platform, a streamlined biometric-based digital tool for managing supervised individuals.
A finalist 2 years running for the NZ Hi-Tech Awards for the Best Hi-Tech Solution for the Public Good category, the platform hinges on precise biometric verification, using the FBI-certified Kojak scanner from Integrated Biometrics. Fingerprints are captured at QCS regional offices upon induction into the Community Corrections system.
Registered individuals can then report via rugged self-service kiosks in QCS offices, using a simple interface with the Kojak scanner to communicate with officers, review documents, check calendars, request travel permits, and complete tasks—easing officers’ administrative load in a highly secure way.
Lower-risk individuals can also be monitored through a mobile app with biometric verification, bridging the region’s vast distances. It supports GPS-enabled curfew checks and geo-fencing to enforce location restrictions, while allowing users to contact case officers and manage appointments.
A robust officer portal and dashboard underpin the system, enhancing caseload management efficiency.
The Results: Improved Correctional Outcomes and Officer Satisfaction
Optimation created Connect with the aim of delivering tangible benefits
to both agencies and supervised individuals, targeting to deliver:
- 40% reduction in repetitive paper-based tasks by officers
- 60% reduction in officer appointment time through self-check-ins for lower-risk offenders
- 100% elimination of on-boarding and permit issuance variation and paper-based processes
- 40% improvement in turn-up rates for appointments
- 25% reduction in curfew call centre and security call-out costs
The biometric Optimation Connect platform has already brought significant benefits to QCS staff, supervised individuals, and the broader community.
In the first 12 months of production use:
- 8,500 Individuals were inducted and registered through the system, with approximately 700 new inductions per month
- 160,000 visitors were logged through the biometrically enabled kiosks
- 48,000 appointments were managed through Connect, delivering a substantial uplift in on-time attendance
- QCS officers have seen a significant drop in repetitive administrative tasks
By integrating digital tools, biometric verification, and data analytics, Connect has improved efficiency, compliance, and supports rehabilitation outcomes in Community Corrections.
About Integrated Biometrics
Integrated Biometrics (IB), a pioneer in biometric fingerprint technology, designs and manufactures advanced, high-resolution touchless and FBI-certified contact identity solutions for government, law enforcement, military, social services, and a wide range of commercial applications. IB’s lightweight scanners, supported by our patented light-emitting sensor (LES) technology, outperform traditional fingerprint devices in size, power consumption, portability, and reliability. Global organizations rely on IB’s products to enroll and verify identities quickly and accurately, even in remote locations under extreme conditions. Commercial enterprises, government and financial services organizations depend on IB to build innovative, secure applications to establish identity in accordance with national and international standards. For more information, visit: https://www.integratedbiometrics.com.
