In a world with more than 30,000 inmates and more than 15,000 uniformed corrections officers, it previously operated without a digital prison management system. Change came in November 2005, when ImageWorks, a renowned IT firm based in New York, was awarded a contract to implement a groundbreaking project for the Department – the Reusable Case Management System, or RCMS. ImageWorks, a long-time business partner of the New York Department of Correction, was looking for a competent solution partner in the area of JavaServer Faces (JSF) technologies to make this ambitious project a reality.
irian was chosen with good cause: irian had already made a name for itself in the open source community, particularly through its active involvement in the Apache MyFaces project, a flagship open source project of the renowned Apache Software Foundation. RCMS was to be built on Apache MyFaces, which provided a solid foundation for the project because RCMS has a particularly interactive interface in which a complete probation case can be created in just a few steps.
The implementation of RCMS was a milestone in the digital transformation of the New York Department of Correction. A classic digitization process was put in place that included strict validation parameters. The introduction of a comprehensive database system and the automation of numerous business processes were essential steps in taking prison administration to a new level of efficiency.
irian successfully qualified for this prestigious project and began developing and implementing the software, which continues to provide significant support to prison administrators in New York State today. A remarkable change occurred – the former flood of paper was reduced to a minimum, resulting in a huge increase in efficiency in daily operations. The new software has not only optimized the workflows, but also noticeably relieved the staff.
Recognition for the project’s technical expertise came in 2006 in the form of the Constantinus Award in the Open Source category. This award recognized not only irian’s technical expertise, but also its contribution to local value creation and the international scope of the project. RCMS was not only a technological advance, but also a sign of how a member of the open source community can succeed in a highly competitive business environment.
The jury statement at a glance:
– Local value creation + Internationality + Potential export
– High benefit for all stakeholders and users
– Best example of how an OS community member can succeed in highly competitive business