The Prison Officer Podcast 108: Can Smart Technology Create Second Chances? Interview w/Alisha Shoates James
What happens when a police officer's career evolves into revolutionizing corrections technology? Alisha Shoates-James takes us on her remarkable journey from patrolling Nashville streets to developing innovative tablet solutions that transform prison environments nationwide.
Drawing from her seven years in law enforcement and extensive experience as a federal probation officer, Shoates-James intimately understands the complexities of our justice system. Her work creating pre-sentence investigation reports for federal judges provided deep insights into the human stories behind criminal cases. "The person is not their lowest moment," she emphasizes, a philosophy that guided her leadership of Tennessee's Probation and Parole Division, where she supervised 1,200 staff responsible for 78,000 individuals reentering society.
Now at Aventive Technologies, Shoates-James pioneers secure tablet solutions that are deployed to 1,200,000 incarcerated individuals in America's prisons and jails. These devices deliver far more than entertainment—they provide critical education, rehabilitative programming, and family connection for incarcerated individuals while creating calmer, safer environments for staff. Correctional administrators report significant reductions in facility tension and behavioral incidents after implementing this technology. "When we introduce tablets into the environment, suddenly everyone has equal access to education," Shoates-James explains, describing how digital learning eliminates waiting lists for limited classroom seats.
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Take care of each other and Be Safe behind those walls and fences!