U.S. Marshals Seek Biometric SDK for Prisoner Identification

“…their aim is to enable marshals to take a picture of a prisoner and then match the latter’s face biometrics against a prisoner database.”

The U.S. Marshals Service has issued a request for quotes on the development of a Software Development Kit that will enable the construction of a mobile facial recognition tool for its agents.

As NextGov reports, the tool would be used in apps developed in-house for internal use by the Marshals Service and the Bureau of Prisons. The Marshals Service handles the transport of prisoners around the country, and the facial recognition tool would enable its agents to identify prisoners with their smartphones.

The agencies are currently working on a digitization project including a new “Movement Packet”, or “MPAC”, app that will allow them to digitally transmit all relevant prisoner data when an individual is being moved. With respect to biometrics, their aim is to enable marshals to take a picture of a prisoner and then match the latter’s face biometrics against a prisoner database.

The U.S. Marshals Service’s solicitation requires that the facial recognition SDK must allow for the development of a system that will allow marshals to identify multiple individuals in an “automated multi-transactional session,” with each identification taking less than a second to process. It also notes that a contactless solution is required in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The request also notes that the SDK must support an error rate threshold that is lower than 15 percent, and must be able to return multiple potential matches when the threshold is not met.

The Marshals Service is prepared to offer a one-year base contract, wth four optional one-year license renewals. The SDK must be compatible with both Android and iOS, and bids are due September 25th.

Source: NextGov

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September 18, 2020 – by Alex Perala