Anoka County Moves to Modernize Jail Operations With New Digital Backbone

ANOKA CITY, MN

On January 27, 2026, the Anoka County Board of Commissioners approved a multi year contract that will quietly but profoundly reshape how the county’s jail operates day to day. The board authorized Contract #C0012087 with BI2 Technologies, replacing a jail management system that county officials say has outlived both its technology and its reliability.

The decision reflects a growing recognition among local governments that jail software is not a back office convenience. It is the operational spine of custody. Booking accuracy, identity verification, inmate movement, court coordination, and lawful release all depend on systems that function correctly every hour of every day.

County documents describe the existing platform, known internally as Police Central or PCI, as increasingly fragile. Portions of the system are more than 15 years old and rely on programming languages that are no longer supported. During committee review, staff cited persistent limitations in functionality and reliability, warning that continued dependence on the platform posed operational risk.

A phased transition designed to avoid disruption

Rather than a sudden cutover, Anoka County structured the contract to preserve continuity while building a replacement in parallel.

From 2026 through 2028, BI2 Technologies will continue supporting the existing PCI system at a cost of $125,000 per year. This three year bridge allows jail operations to continue uninterrupted while data is migrated and staff are trained on the new platform.

The replacement system, IMATS, short for Inmate Management and Tracking System, is a cloud based platform that BI2 will develop, configure, and migrate at no additional cost to the county. The contract includes up to 30 days of on site training. The county anticipates a full operational launch in June 2027.

Once IMATS is live, the agreement transitions to a long term maintenance structure:

• Years 1 through 3: $165,344 annually
• Years 4 through 6: $170,304 annually
• Years 7 through 9: $175,413 annually

Costs are shared across departments, with 60 percent allocated to the Sheriff’s Office and 40 percent to Community Corrections. The split reflects how widely the system is used across jail operations, workhouse functions, and justice services.

What changes inside the jail

A jail management system does far more than store records. It governs the logic of custody itself.

IMATS is designed to unify booking, inmate movement, warrant processing, and civil service tracking into a single platform used by the Jail Division, the Workhouse, and Justice Services. County materials describe the upgrade as eliminating the functional constraints of PCI while improving reliability in time sensitive workflows.

Anoka County already uses BI2’s biometric technology, including iris recognition, to verify inmate identity and reduce the risk of mistaken release or identity fraud. The new platform is expected to integrate directly with that system, strengthening safeguards at moments where errors can carry serious consequences.

For correctional staff, the change promises fewer workarounds and less reliance on legacy systems patched beyond their intended lifespan. For incarcerated individuals, it is intended to reduce errors tied to misidentification, scheduling failures, or record discrepancies.

A digital upgrade alongside a physical reckoning

The software overhaul arrives as Anoka County confronts the physical limits of its jail infrastructure.

The county is currently planning a $163.98 million jail replacement project after the Minnesota Department of Corrections cited the existing 40 year old facility for deteriorating systems and space deficiencies. County planning documents describe a building strained by modern correctional demands and regulatory standards.

Together, the projects reflect a broader reset. One addresses bricks, steel, and square footage. The other addresses data, identity, and operational integrity. Both respond to the same reality: a system built decades ago is no longer sufficient for the legal, technological, and human expectations placed upon it.

Why this matters beyond the balance sheet

Technology decisions rarely generate public attention, yet their consequences ripple outward. A jail management system determines whether records are accurate, whether custody status is clear, and whether releases occur lawfully and on time.

By approving the BI2 contract, Anoka County is making a preventative investment. It is choosing to replace a system before failure forces action, rather than after a breakdown exposes vulnerabilities.

For residents, the change will be largely invisible. For those working inside the jail, and those passing through it, the impact will be constant. In a system where precision is not optional, Anoka County is betting that modernization is not merely prudent, but necessary.

MinneapoliMedia