Lawrence County approves Guardian RFID contract for jail tracking system

An unidentified county official told the Lawrence County Commission that a Guardian RFID system would allow corrections staff to record inmate movement, meal distribution and supply issuance in real time and integrate with the jail’s existing software. “It can integrate with our existing software… it has an RFID scanner on it,” the presenter said, describing a handheld device about the size of a smartphone.

The official said the county’s expense for the first year is $11,901.26, with an additional integration bridge fee of $4,680 and two follow-on years at $11,200 each, plus an option to extend. Commissioners asked whether the integration fee was a one-time expense and were told staff was working to confirm that it would be a single bridging cost.

After brief questions about recurring costs and operational benefits, a commissioner moved to authorize the county chairman to sign the contract. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote, allowing the county to proceed with the Guardian program implementation.

The commission’s action granted signature authority; the record does not show further procurement steps or a detailed implementation timeline. The contract’s stated costs and the integration fee were discussed during the presentation and remain the key fiscal considerations moving forward.

The county indicated the system is intended to increase efficiency and officer safety while producing auditable movement logs; the next steps are for staff to finalize integration details and execute the contract as authorized.