Should Supervisors Have Their Own SPARTANs?

Latest security check completed? Check.

Posts assigned and scheduled? Check. 

Court transports underway? Check.

Chow distributed? Check.

Reports reviewed? Check.

Meds passed? Check.

Compliance met? Check.

This mental checklist is just a fraction of the items that go through the mind of a supervisor every day. As a supervisor, you play a critical role in overseeing the overall performance and security of all correctional staff and inmates.

With so much responsibility—and constant activity across every aspect of the facility—it’s fair to ask: should supervisors have their own SPARTAN? In this blog, we’ll explore the factors that should be considered when determining whether supervisors should have their own SPARTAN, including the unique scope of their role, and how technology fits into their day-to-day decision-making, communication, and management.

Supervisors Don’t Have Time to Waste

Just as front-line officers are trained to provide more than an “All OK” during inmate observation checks, supervisors are trained to maintain constant awareness of all the details of everything happening in their facility. This means that supervisors need to oversee more than the daily operations. They need to closely monitor officer performance, ensure compliance with policies, verify that all activities are captured accurately, and maintain safety and security across all functional areas of the facility.

And this is just scratching the surface.

Supervisors are responsible for responding to incidents, verifying observation checks, reviewing headcounts, and ensuring that all required tasks, including meals, supplies, meds, and movements, are completed and documented fully. Supervisors need to know when, where, why, and how every one of these tasks is happening—they need more than just confirmation that everything in the facility is “All OK.”

Given the scope of their duties, supervisors require real-time access to data and activity logs to make informed decisions, identify issues promptly, and ensure operational consistency throughout the facility at all times.

How Would a Supervisor Use a SPARTAN? 

GUARDIAN RFID’s SPARTAN is an ultra-rugged Android device designed to withstand nearly every scenario in corrections. From battery life to durability, these devices have become a pillar technology in the corrections industry.

The SPARTAN is powered by Mobile Command XR, Command Cloud’s mobile inmate tracking system, which ensures that all data is captured and instantly uploaded, connected, and synced to Command Cloud. This keeps electronic logs updated in real time, giving corrections staff immediate access to the latest data.

From capturing the data itself via RFID card scanning, wristband scanning, or Hard Tag scanning, to reviewing the data from the device screen, SPARTAN shows data from conception to execution, timestamped exactly when and where the data was captured, by whom, and regarding which inmate(s).

Whether a supervisor needs to quickly see an inmate’s location, check which inmates have returnable supplies, verify if a med pass is due, confirm whether a meal has been served, or review any other detail, Mobile Command XR provides all the information staff need directly from the SPARTAN screen. This level of visibility not only holds officers accountable for their tasks but also reduces the risk of errors or incomplete documentation, strengthening overall operational integrity.

Using a SPARTAN gives supervisors the ability to see what’s happening in the moment—without having to wait until the captured data is uploaded to Mission Command, Command Cloud’s cloud-native application that provides users with a common operating picture of all data captured in Mobile Command XR. Knowing what’s happening in the moment is paramount for supervisors because they need to be empowered to access data whenever necessary. They should not have to worry about running to the nearest desktop only to have their computer say it’s time to update and restart when trying to log in.

Maintaining the care, custody, and control of everyone in the facility is a supervisor’s primary focus. They are responsible for staying fully aware of everything happening in their facility, both to support their staff and ensure smooth operations. However, they can only do this if they are equipped with the right tools.

Should Supervisors Have Their Own SPARTAN?

If we’re asking, “Do supervisors NEED their own SPARTAN?” — the answer is no. SPARTAN devices are designed for shared use among staff. Any number of officers can securely log in and out using their individual credentials, allowing multiple users to access their own profiles and activity history on the same device.

However, the question at hand is: SHOULD supervisors have their own SPARTAN?

We believe the answer is yes—they should. While SPARTANs are designed to allow multiple staff members to use the same device with individual accounts, supervisors have use cases that differ significantly.

Supervisors are expected to stay up to date on all checks and logs being completed, but it’s cumbersome to do so if they don’t have a SPARTAN in hand. Instead, they are behind a desk, reading the data captured by other officers as it's being synced into Mission Command, instead of being out on the floor and capturing as much data as the rest of the staff.

No supervisor should be chained to a computer when data needs to be captured. With their own dedicated SPARTAN, they maintain full situational awareness and can instantly verify their presence in housing areas where supervisor oversight is required—supporting compliance, accountability, and agency standards.

When something needs to be documented, it should be done immediately—not five minutes later, or whenever a device becomes available. With their own SPARTAN, supervisors can document in real time without interrupting a nearby officer, waiting for a headset to free up, or having to log someone out to switch credentials. 

Supervisors don’t just influence outcomes in a correctional facility—they are responsible for guiding them. Their role demands instant access to information, full visibility into officer activity, and the ability to take action when necessary. 

While SPARTAN devices were designed to be shared, the reality is that supervisors operate under a completely different decision-making and oversight model than line staff. By equipping supervisors with their own SPARTAN, facilities empower them to stay mobile, responsive, and fully connected to every operational touchpoint in real time—ultimately elevating the care, custody, and control of the overall facility.