BI Incorporated "VeriWatch" Contracts (Miami-Dade County Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation)

Dear Mack DeGeurin:

Thank you for your interest in public records of Miami-Dade County.  Your request has been received and is being processed.  Your request was received in this office on 10/23/2023 and given the reference number R024560-102323 for tracking purposes.
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To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Florida Sunshine Law, I hereby request the following records:

I am writing to request access to all records, including but not limited to contracts and emails, related to BI Incorporated and/or its smartwatch device called the "VeriWatch." This request is made under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552. I am interested in learning more about the agency's use of the VeriWatch device, including how it is being used, how much it costs, and what safeguards are in place to protect the privacy of individuals who are subject to its use. Specifically, I am interested in any records that discuss:

The purpose of the agency's contract with BI Incorporated.
The terms of the contract, including the cost of the VeriWatch devices and the duration of the contract.
How the agency is using the VeriWatch devices.
The types of data that the VeriWatch devices collect and how that data is used.
The safeguards that the agency has in place to protect the privacy of individuals who are subject to the use of the VeriWatch devices.

I would appreciate it if you could provide me with copies of all responsive records within 30 days of receiving this request. If you have any questions or require any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me at mdegeurin@gizmodo.com. I am a tech policy reporter at Gizmodo where I have experience reporting on policing technology. I believe these records are in the public interest and I plan to write about them for our large audience of readers. As such, I would like to respectfully request to have fees for these documents waived. If you have any questions about my media status, please contact me.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 10 business days.

Sincerely,

Mack DeGeurin

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/
Your request will be forwarded to the relevant person(s) to locate the information you seek and to determine the volume and any costs associated with satisfying your request.  You will be contacted about the availability and/or provided with copies of the records in question.

Thank you,

Miami-Dade County
The Miami Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department (MDCR) Central Records Unit is moving to the new MDCR Headquarters located at 3505 N.W. 107 Avenue, Doral, Florida 33178.  As a result, you may experience some delays in receiving your public records request(s).  Also, please be advised that between June 8 and June 12, staff may have limited access to email, phone and internet.  We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your patience during this time.   The Central Records Unit will make all efforts to respond to your record request(s) as soon as possible. Effective June 13, 2023, all record pick up and drop off will be at the new MDCR Headquarters.

--- Please respond above this line ---
RE: Public Records Request of 10/23/2023, Reference #R024560-102323

Dear Mack DeGeurin,

Miami-Dade County received a public records request from you on October 23, 2023. You requested the following:
To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Florida Sunshine Law, I hereby request the following records:

I am writing to request access to all records, including but not limited to contracts and emails, related to BI Incorporated and/or its smartwatch device called the "VeriWatch." This request is made under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. § 552. I am interested in learning more about the agency's use of the VeriWatch device, including how it is being used, how much it costs, and what safeguards are in place to protect the privacy of individuals who are subject to its use. Specifically, I am interested in any records that discuss:

The purpose of the agency's contract with BI Incorporated.
The terms of the contract, including the cost of the VeriWatch devices and the duration of the contract.
How the agency is using the VeriWatch devices.
The types of data that the VeriWatch devices collect and how that data is used.
The safeguards that the agency has in place to protect the privacy of individuals who are subject to the use of the VeriWatch devices.

I would appreciate it if you could provide me with copies of all responsive records within 30 days of receiving this request. If you have any questions or require any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me at mdegeurin@gizmodo.com. I am a tech policy reporter at Gizmodo where I have experience reporting on policing technology. I believe these records are in the public interest and I plan to write about them for our large audience of readers. As such, I would like to respectfully request to have fees for these documents waived. If you have any questions about my media status, please contact me.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 10 business days.

Sincerely,

Mack DeGeurin

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/ No such document exists in response to your request. You can reply to this email with any question or send a message by logging into our online Public Records System.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Sylvia Hanks