Bookings in 1971 were done in a ledger book measuring 11 inches by 7 inches with space for 26 bookings on each sheet. The small, fixed amount of space for each piece of information made it difficult to enter more than one charge for one suspect. The forms lacked space for certain crucial information, such as the year the person was released or the name of the booking officer. The medication records were equally inefficient. The computer system Wisconsin established in the mid-1970's consisted of a centralized database that would issue huge computer printouts twice a year. The new computer system improved the booking forms, but inmates' cash was still placed in individual lockers in brown envelopes on which additions and subtractions were noted. In the mid-1980's the corrections system decided to computerize the booking records. The staff initially resisted the effort. However, contracting with a company to develop a computer program based on the jail's needs resulted in a lengthy but rewarding process. Today's computer system makes it easy for jail personnel to enter and retrieve information. The inmate's first booking number becomes the history number that ties all the information together. The system also provides useful accounting, personnel scheduling, and management information. These examples are just the beginning of what a computer can do.