LINCOLN – Lighthouse Computer Services Inc. today announced a statewide system to enable enforcement authorities in Rhode Island to coordinate their tracking of convicted criminals.

The unified R.I. Criminal Offender Tracking System – the product of two years of development – has long been a priority of state and local authorities.

Last month, U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy secured a $200,000 federal grant to support the system’s development, and his office is reviewing a larger request.

“These new monitoring devices being developed by Lighthouse can be used to monitor recent parolees and to track the movements of firefighters and police officers in first-responder situations,” Kennedy said in announcing the funding. “Broad adoption of this new, Rhode Island-based technology will also mean new jobs for Rhode Islanders.”

R.I. Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch also has supported the effort.

Justice Assistance (RI), a nonprofit agency that provides planning and other services for the criminal justice system, selected Lighthouse to develop the system after consulting with various state court, correctional, law enforcement and community agencies.

After studying the state’s tracking and monitoring requirements, Lighthouse developed an integrated system to share date between various agencies.

Lighthouse says its new system can pinpoint the exact location of a given offender. It also allows tracking over time, making it easy to determine how long a person has spent in any given location and whether he or she has strayed into any “exclusion zones.” Aerial, map and hybrid views are available on the system’s computer interface.

The offender tracking system relies on a small, one-piece unit that locks on the person’s ankle. The company contracted with OmniLink Systems Inc. (www.omnilink.com) – a global positioning systems (GPS) company based in Georgia – to develop the tracking unit.

“Lighthouse and our partners integrated a new approach that applies modern technology to offender release programs,” CEO Tom Mrva said in a statement.

“Dangerous offenders – once released from prison – move directly into Rhode Island neighborhoods,” he noted. “The state needs every advantage to ensure that violent offenders don’t become repeat offenders. This new system offers that advantage.”

The system represents “a major step beyond old methods commonly used today, which are based on technology created decades ago,” Mrva said. It also represents a major shift in strategy for Lighthouse, which in the past has focused on providing computer services, rather than creating new products.

Lighthouse Computer Services Inc. offers consulting, integration and maintenance services for hardware and software including IBM, NetApp, VMware, Microsoft, Tivoli, Symantec, STORServer, Lotus, Acopia, Enterasys and APC. For more information, visit www.LighthouseCS.com.

Justice Assistance (R.I.) is a nonprofit criminal-justice services agency, established in 1978, that provides advocacy for both crime victims and offenders. Additional information is available from the state Justice Commission at www.rijustice.ri.gov.