ASHLAND — Ashland County Jail officials plan to track real-time medical updates of inmates using wristbands.
The Ashland County Board of Commissioners on Thursday approved a nearly $42,000 three-year contract with 4Sight Labs for the company’s Overwatch program.
The purchase means county jail staff will place three wristbands on inmates deemed to be medically at-risk, said Sheriff Kurt Schneider.
The wristbands monitor blood pressure, heart and respiratory rates, blood oxygen levels and skin temperature. The data is transmitted to monitors that jail staff will have, Schneider said.
“It’ll help us respond more quickly to make sure these inmates are OK,” he said. “They’re a fantastic tool.”
Schneider said many jail inmates are not very healthy when they come in.
“But almost 100% of them leave healthier than when they come in, which is good,” Schneider said.
Money for the three-year program, the equipment and training for staff will come from the county’s Opioid Settlement fund.
The settlement is against the pharmaceutical industry as a consequence of its role in the national opioid epidemic.
Ohio received $158 million from the settlement in 2022 and 2023. Ashland County received $200,000 at the beginning of 2025. As of Nov. 25, the county has $72,810 left in the fund.
Richland County Jail bought 10 of the same wristbands late last year.