iPad Project

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2012

A big problem for any government is excess paperwork and disorganized databases. The same goes for the San Bernadino County Public Defender's (SBCPD) office, which has 106 lawyers handling over 45,000 cases a year serving 13 locations. The SBCPD offices are separated by 228 miles of desert, a distance equal to that separating Boston from Manhattan. Recognizing the inefficiencies and environmental impact of paper, the SBCPD has entered the digital era. No more piles of paper, no driving files across the desert, no more lost files, no additional storage costs, and no injuries from lifting boxes of files. The SBCPD accomplished this in less than one year. Every file employees now create is digital, encrypted, and password protected. Staff can view and access a file from anywhere, anytime. Governed by the motto, "Keep it simple, keep it cheap, and make it workable," the project was implemented in January 2011 by using tablets, a cloud service, and desk-top computers.