What Corrections Staff Should Do When GUARDIAN RFID Products Are Destroyed

An inmate ripped off their wristband and flushed it down the toilet. 

An inmate broke their ID card in half, in an attempt to make the edges into a weapon. 

An inmate snatched a SPARTAN out of an officer’s hands and threw it at another inmate.

Sound familiar? If so, don’t worry – you’re not the first, and you certainly won’t be the last to deal with situations like these. So, what’s the next step to get materials replaced?

This blog explores what to do in these situations, including:

• How to connect with GUARDIAN RFID to receive new materials
• What GUARDIAN RFID covers under warranty
• What lesson can be learned from these situations when they occur

How Do I Get New Materials?

The most common materials acquired from GUARDIAN RFID include SPARTANs, RFID wristbands, and RFID cards. While the replacement process may differ for each, they all share one key point: When an inmate damages any of these items, the agency is responsible for replacing them and covering the associated costs.

First, for any material, start by reaching out to your GUARDIAN RFID point of contact – whether that's your JailOps representative, Support team member, Academy trainer, etc. They will get you where you need to go or give you the information you need. 

RFID WRISTBANDS

Once damaged, RFID wristbands cannot be effectively repaired, so we provide brand-new replacements instead. These are sold in bulk, with 450 per box for $675. 

RFID CARDS

Similar to RFID wristbands, RFID cards are replaced with new cards entirely. Although RFID cards are typically sold in bulk at a lower cost, they are also available for individual purchase. Individual RFID cards are available for $3 each, but purchasing in bulk offers substantial savings – a box of 200 cards costs $300, reducing the price to just $1.50 per card. 

Whether you need a few wristbands or a full box, GUARDIAN RFID provides flexible options to help you manage replacement costs efficiently.

SPARTAN

First and foremost, it’s important to note that SPARTANs are covered under warranty in only two specific cases:

1. It simply did not work from the moment it was taken out of its shipping box, which is rare. 
   
2. It was accidentally damaged by an officer, or was used as a self-defense tool during an inmate attack, which is more common.

Conversely, if your SPARTAN was damaged by an inmate or due to an officer's negligence, it is not under warranty, but we’ll get to that later. 

When you need a new SPARTAN, there are two things you first need to do: 

1. Call GUARDIAN RFID’s Technical Support line (866-382-6339). A Support team member (yes, a real person!) will document all the details of what happened with your SPARTAN in an internal case. They will then send you the SPARTAN Damage Incident Report to complete and submit. From there, they will create a ticket to address your need. 
2. Fill out a SPARTAN Damage Incident Report. Our support team can email you a copy once you’ve contacted them. This form asks for details of the incident in specific fields, including: 
   1. Date of form being completed
   2. SPARTAN serial number
   3. Officer name involved
   4. Date/time the damage occurred
   5. Whether it was intentional or accidental
   6. Description of how the damage occurred
   7. Command officer’s name/signature

Once a ticket is created to replace your SPARTAN, our team will mail your agency a shipping label to attach to the package and send it to the GUARDIAN RFID home office for repair. When your shipment arrives, the Support team coordinates with the Repair team to assess the device’s damage.

Depending on the severity of the damage, the average turnaround to repair a single SPARTAN is typically around five business days. If this timeframe doesn’t work for our staff, or if the damage is excessive and it will take longer than normal to repair, our team will work with your team to issue a loaner device for the duration of the repair. 

What is Covered Under Warranty? 

Correctional staff live by the motto, Expect the unexpected. Anything can happen within the walls of a correctional facility, and we understand that. That’s why we built our warranty options to work in different ways and meet the unique needs of our customers. 

No matter what type of warranty your agency selects, every SPARTAN is covered under warranty for thirty-six months, or three consecutive years, from the date of shipment from GUARDIAN RFID, against defects in workmanship and materials, provided the SPARTAN remains unmodified and is used under normal, proper conditions. 

Here’s where the different kinds of warranty options break up the differences: FutureProof or Conventional. 

FUTUREPROOF WARRANTY

If you’re under FutureProof, otherwise known as leasing your SPARTANs from GUARDIAN RFID, then you’re covered in almost every way. Not only are your devices always under warranty and are replaced every three years, but you will also receive new batteries, charging cradles, adapters, and handstraps periodically. 

What’s the catch? 

It costs $700 per SPARTAN, annually. This also does not include RFID wristband or RFID card coverage—those items would need to be purchased separately. 

CONVENTIONAL WARRANTY

If you’re a conventional customer, that means you’ve bought the full price of our software and hardware outright from GUARDIAN RFID for three consecutive years, and are covered under warranty for that duration. 

What’s the catch? 

There isn’t as much covered under warranty as you now technically own the device for three years. While it costs $1,200 per SPARTAN for a three-year warranty, batteries and handstraps are not covered. Cradles and adapters are only under warranty for one year. Additionally, RFID wristbands and RFID cards are not covered under warranty and must be purchased separately, similar to FutureProof.

THE COMPARISONS

There’s give and take with the two coverage programs: the more affordable one covers less, and the more expensive one covers more. Here is a brief overview of both programs to compare the differences in warranty coverage: 

How Can These Situations Be Turned Into Learning Experiences?

By this point, you’ve probably noticed that we’ve made a point to highlight that any damage to a SPARTAN caused by an inmate will hold the agency responsible for its repair costs. Why? Because an inmate should never have the opportunity to get their hands on a SPARTAN. In the case this happens, it’s due to officer negligence, which is not covered under warranty. 

How can agencies ensure that inmates don’t even try to damage a SPARTAN, let alone their own RFID wristband or RFID card? 

GUARDIAN RFID encourages agencies to enforce strict consequences for inmates who attempt to damage GUARDIAN RFID materials. For example, many of our customers have collaborated with their county attorneys to add additional charges for inmates who intentionally damage their identification method (i.e., wristbands or ID cards). Common charges include “destruction of government property” or “attempting to escape from custody,” especially in cases of repeated damage or destruction.

Strong policies and forceful consequences for misusing, removing, or damaging GUARDIAN RFID products can encourage inmates to think twice before tampering with something, and ultimately prevent or reduce material replacements.

Any degree of damage to a GUARDIAN RFID product is frustrating, but it’s entirely manageable when you know the steps to take. Understanding the replacement process, knowing what is and isn’t covered under warranty, and setting firm behavioral standards for inmates can all help reduce incidents that require product repair or replacement. When in doubt, connect with your GUARDIAN RFID point of contact—we’re here to support you every step of the way.