Up next in our Better Together series: Mi-Case, a jail records management and corrections management platform, building cloud-native, purpose-built solutions like Mi-JMS, Mi-OMS, and Mi-Licensing for agencies across the country. Now their JMS platform integrates directly with Mark43, connecting booking and custody records with CAD and RMS from the moment an arrest happens.
Read on to hear directly from Mi-Case’s Susan Dean, JMS Practice Director, and Al Cormier, Director of Thought Leadership and Corporate Partnerships and retired deputy director of the Vermont Department of Corrections.
- If you had to summarize the primary challenge your platform is designed to solve, what would it be?
Susan Dean, JMS Practice Director at Mi-Case shared, “Mi-Case was built to make the jail and corrections management process seamless. Our system is designed to manage every interaction from the moment of arrest to the day they walk out.”
Historically, jails have tracked inmate records across disconnected and often outdated systems, which means manual re-entry, duplicated effort, and information gaps at exactly the points where accuracy matters most. Mi-Case keeps the complete record in one specialized system, shaped by decades of implementing jail systems in agencies of every size.
- Can you share an industry story that best illustrates the value of the partnership?
Dean pointed to the moment of arrest as the clearest example of the partnership’s value. When Mark43 CAD is integrated with Mi-Case JMS, booking information can be shared with the receiving facility before an individual arrives, giving corrections staff valuable time to prepare.
“That’s really where the value lies,” said Dean. “Instead of waiting until someone reaches the jail, staff know who is coming, when they’re expected, and what their incoming volume looks like. That is especially important during overnight bookings or when facilities are operating with limited staff.”
The integration also works in the opposite direction. If corrections staff need to share important information back with law enforcement, such as medical flags or other officer safety concerns, that information can be shared in real time. As Dean put it, “The value isn’t more information, it’s the right information, early enough to do something about it.”
Al Cormier, Director of Thought Leadership and Corporate Partnerships at Mi-Case, added that the partnership improves both efficiency and accuracy during intake while eliminating unnecessary manual data entry. “Instead of rekeying information between systems, staff can focus on safely processing individuals. Beyond operational efficiencies, the partnership also enables joint CAD, RMS, and JMS system upgrades, giving agencies an end-to-end solution instead of separate tools stitched together.”
- At Mark43, we believe public safety is a team sport. Does that resonate? Why are partnerships important to your mission and product strategy?
Cormier didn’t hesitate when asked whether public safety is a team sport: “There is no vendor that can survive on its own,” he said. “If you’re not in that team mentality, you’re bumping heads across the industry.”
Dean echoed this perspective: “We do what we do really well, and we partner with people who do what they do really well. Agencies may need 15 to 20 different integrations into our offender management or jail management systems, and without strong partner relationships and teamwork, that integration or implementation can fail.”
- What unique value does your partnership with Mark43 create for agencies?
Rather than trying to build every piece of the public safety workflow under one roof, the partnership gives agencies the best-of-breed solutions across the entire arrest-to-release process.
“What makes the partnership especially compelling is that each company brings deep expertise in its own lane. Our expertise lies in jail management and corrections management, and Mark43 is the expert in CAD and RMS,” said Dean.
“Both companies have former public safety professionals working to build the solutions they wish they had,” Cormier added. “We know first-hand how frustrating legacy systems can be and know there is a better way.”
The deep expertise and background from each team strengthens the foundation of this partnership and the value it delivers to customers.
- Looking ahead, where do you see AI having the greatest impact on public safety? Are there emerging use cases or trends you believe agencies should be preparing for?
Cormier believes the biggest opportunity for AI lies in helping agencies understand the value. While AI has become one of the sector’s biggest talking points, there’s still a hesitation among many agencies and leaders, making education a critical first step. “Having conversations with leaders, sheriffs, mayors, and county commissioners, to actually explain and show where AI can be leveraged most securely and effectively is extremely important,” said Cormier. He also noted that all integration of AI in public safety must be intentional. “Done right, AI is a huge game changer for agencies looking to save time amongst ongoing staffing shortages.”
Dean agreed there are ripe opportunities for AI across public safety but noted that security and CJIS compliance remain top concerns for many agencies: “At Mi-Case, we are very AI-forward internally but bringing it into the application itself is going to take evolution given the sensitivity of the data we handle.” Mark43 shares this approach, treating security as one of the crucial pillars when integrating AI into our systems.
- If there’s one takeaway or piece of advice for agencies when they are assessing new vendors or tools, what would it be?
“We’re there as a partner, not just a vendor. Agencies must understand who they’ll be working with throughout the implementation and beyond. Who owns the company? Is it a private equity firm that has no prior public safety experience? Or is it a personally owned company with subject matter experts who care about the mission?” said Cormier. For both Mi-Case and Mark43, deep public safety experience across teams helps shape products that reflect real operational needs.
A vendor’s implementation track record and subject matter expertise also play an important role. Ask direct questions about the implementation, launch, and post-launch expectations, including identifying a nearby agency who can speak to the overall implementation process with the vendor. Dean reinforced the importance of proven success and industry experience. “Our JMS is a combination of 25 years of developing, designing, and successfully implementing for agencies of all sizes and requirements.”
Closing Thoughts
Arrest to release is a long chain, and no single system was built to own every link. By bringing together organizations with deep expertise in their respective domains, agencies can build stronger technology ecosystems that deliver greater value and ensure the right information reaches the right people at the right time.
