Background
Territory Families are responsible for the operation of youth justice centres in the Northern Territory which accommodate young people who are on remand or have been sentenced.
Northern Territory legislation requires government records to be maintained accurately and under the Information Act (NT), Northern Territory Government organisations must:
- keep full and accurate records of their activities and operations, and
- implement practices and procedures to safeguard the custody and ensure proper preservation of their records.
Territory Families engaged Radical Systems to design, develop, and implement an electronic system to accurately record and maintain journals pertaining to operational activities and incident reports across all Northern Territory youth justice facilities, including:
- shift handovers
- separation
- use of restraint
- use of force
- body search
- search inspections
- gatehouse person search
- vehicle search
- escort
- court appearances
The Project
The business objectives of the Youth Justice eJournal system included:
- streamlining the overall process of recording necessary operational information
- reducing the time taken to enter and complete records
- improving access to information
- ensuring compliance against the Northern Territory Information Act
- reducing the reliance on paper-based forms
- providing an online repository of records which can be easily searched and accessed
- enabling alerts when compliance objects have not been met, or expected entries are not recorded
- integration with the government records management system for permanent record storage and management
The Client
Territory Families provides support services across child protection, domestic and family violence, foster and kinship care and youth justice services.
The agency is responsible for the operation of youth justice centres in the Northern Territory which accommodate young people who are on remand or have been sentenced.
Developing the Youth Justice eJournal system
Radical Systems developed the Youth Justice eJournal system using ASP.NET and Microsoft SQL Server as backend technologies, providing core logic and database management, respectively. For the front end, Aurelia is employed as the user interface framework, offering a dynamic and responsive experience for users.
RESTful APIs facilitate communication between the front end and back end and deployment is managed using Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) for hosting the ASP.NET application. Whilst the application has been deployed on-premise in this instance the system may be deployed on Microsoft Azure, Amazon AWS, or any other cloud provider that supports .NET hosting.
Outcomes
At the time of writing, thousands of entries have been completed by the customer using the eJournal system and the application has been utilised successfully for almost 5 years. During this time it has benefited the customer in many ways, including:
Efficiency and Automation: The system has significantly improved efficiency by replacing paper records with digital ones. This has reduced the time and effort required to manage and update records, leading to a more streamlined process.
Integration with Records Management System: The integration with a records management system has further enhanced efficiency by automating the transfer of data between systems. This integration ensures that records are accurate, up-to-date, and easily accessible to authorised personnel.
Enhanced Security and Accountability: The system captures the user identity when logging records, enhancing security and accountability. This feature ensures that all actions are traceable to specific users, reducing the risk of unauthorised access or tampering with records.
Improved Accessibility and Searchability: Digital records are easily accessible and searchable, allowing authorised personnel to quickly find the information they need. This has improved decision-making processes and the overall effectiveness of the centre.
Better Reporting and Analysis: The system provides tools for generating reports and analysing data, enabling management to gain insights into trends and patterns. This has improved the centre's ability to track progress, identify areas for improvement, and make informed decisions.
Compliance and Legal Requirements: The system helps ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements related to record keeping. By capturing user identities and maintaining accurate records, the system helps the centres meet their obligations and maintain a high standard of care.
Overall, the system has had a positive impact on the operation of the youth justice centres, improving efficiency, security, and accountability while enhancing the overall quality of care provided to young detainees.