Meet the Client
The Idaho Department of Corrections manages offenders across the state through ten prisons, four community re-entry centers, and district offices in every corner of Idaho. Officers juggle supervision for probationers and parolees while managing inmate populations. Their mission centers on public safety and successful reintegration. But their technology was holding them back from both goals.
Daily Detour: Handwritten notes and lost hours
Field officers faced a frustrating routine. After conducting monthly home visits with offenders, they scribbled notes on paper. Then they drove back to the office. Once there, they manually entered every detail into the offender management system. This process ate up hours. Overtime became mandatory just to keep up with documentation.
The problems didn’t stop there. Paper notes got lost. Files became illegible. Officers couldn’t confirm whether someone had completed a task. Documents sat in stacks on desks for weeks. Sometimes they disappeared entirely.
“Staff spent a lot of time tracking redundant information due to a lack of communication and cross-department transparency,” the agency reported.
Spreadsheets and Access databases offered no real help. Sharing files caused corruption. Multiple people couldn’t work simultaneously. Manual data entry consumed valuable time that officers should have spent in the field. The agency needed officers protecting communities, not pushing paper.
Meanwhile, incident reporting suffered from similar issues. Reports weren’t filed on time. Data accuracy suffered. When leadership needed reporting capability, they discovered their manual process couldn’t deliver it.
Human Resources struggled too. Background checks for new hires required a 17-page paper questionnaire. Every applicant filled out the same form, regardless of position. A prison guard needed the same rigorous investigation as a contractor who barely interacted with offenders. Duplicate information appeared in multiple locations. Human error was inevitable.
The Solution: From Field Notes to Instant Processing
Supervision Contacts: Documentation at the Point of Service
The agency partnered with MCCi as their Laserfiche solution provider to build electronic forms that work in the field. Now officers submit supervision contact notes directly from their mobile devices.
Here’s how it works. Officers enter an offender’s identifying number. The system automatically populates the person’s name. Then officers add the visit details: date, time, contact type, and observations. The comment field includes microphone functionality. Officers can dictate their notes instead of typing them.
One click submits everything. Officers receive an email confirmation showing their exact dictation. The system processes the information directly into the offender management system. No return trip to the office required. No manual data entry. No lost notes.
“This new functionality has resulted in accurate entries that provide the courts with the visit’s exact dates and times,” according to IDOC staff.
Incident Reports: Real-Time Tracking Across Facilities
MCCi helped build an electronic incident reporting form for prison, probation, and parole officers. The workflow pulls submitter information and offender data from multiple SQL databases automatically. This ensures accuracy without manual entry.
When an officer submits an incident, the form files in the repository and emails distribution lists immediately. The system manages subscriptions through another electronic form. Users can subscribe or unsubscribe from distribution lists themselves. The form automatically updates Microsoft Entra ID membership groups.
No more delayed reporting. No more inaccurate data. Leadership gets the information they need when they need it.
Background Checks: Smart Forms for Smart Hiring
MCCi designed a multi-step workflow for background investigations. After a preliminary interview, the interviewer makes a recommendation. If the applicant moves forward, the background investigation team receives their information automatically through Laserfiche.
The system integrates with the investigator’s database through an API. No duplicate data entry. Applicants receive a custom URL to a questionnaire tailored to their specific position. Guards see different questions than contractors. The 17-page one-size-fits-all form is gone. In just four months, this workflow processed over 900 background checks.
Beyond the Basics: Eight More Wins
IDOC didn’t stop with three processes. With ongoing Laserfiche support and training from MCCi, they automated:
- Constituent services and community inquiries
- Volunteer and mentor processes
- Offender travel requests
- Cell phone reimbursements
- Criminal record check requests
- Account management system requests
- Investigations and information requests
- IT procurement and medical authorization requests
The Results: Hours Saved, Safety Improved
The numbers tell a compelling story. Background processing now saves staff 10 hours per week. That’s time previously spent scanning and preparing paper packets.
Field officers save between four and eight hours monthly. They’re spending more time in communities. They’re conducting more visits. They’re doing the work they were hired to do.
Currently, 59 security staff members use the Laserfiche system. Together, they’ve saved approximately 1,400 hours annually. That translates to $82,600 in labor costs.
But the impact goes beyond dollars. Court reporting improved with accurate timestamps. Lost documentation became a thing of the past. Accountability increased across departments. Officers can confirm task completion instantly.
Building momentum through proven wins
IDOC took a smart approach. They automated simple processes first. Early successes earned leadership buy-in. That support opened doors for more complex projects.
Now they’re planning to expand HR onboarding automation. The goal is ensuring the right information arrives on time and in the correct order. This approach reduces errors, decreases staff effort, and maintains consistency between departments.
The agency proves what’s possible when state organizations partner with experienced Laserfiche partners. Start small. Build trust. Scale up. The result? More officers in the field. Better community safety. Substantial cost savings.