As prisons turn into a lot more crowded, far more internal problems will arise. “The physical security design plays an essential role in the prison security method,” said Nafis Jasmani, Sales Manager for ASEAN at Axis Communications. “Prison bureaus and authorities are continuously looking into implementing far more advanced technology to make sure good security in keeping points smooth inside and outside the perimeters.” A number of systems are put in place to secure the premises.

“Obviously there is surveillance,” said Johnny Trivitayakhun, MD of Semple Cochrane. “Perimeter systems may possibly incorporate an electric fence for the outer layer and a tough wire fence for the inner layer. Access control is necessary for all entrances and gates — down to the individual cells. Then there are the public address equipment, metal detectors, X-ray machines and so forth. Road blockers are also used for the primary entrance since there have been incidents where inmates would attempt to escape by hijacking a automobile and running it via the gates.” Biometrics is playing a key role in extremely integrated prison facilities, from access control and record keeping, to tracking the movement of inmates. “Most jails have an electronic automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS), where the fingerprints captured in the course of the time of arrest and incarceration is stored,” said Michael Trader, President of M2SYS. “Some facilities send a copy to the agency maintaining the statewide AFIS and also to the FBI, which maintains a national integrated AFIS fingerprint and criminal history method. Some still use ink and paper to capture the fingerprints onto cards, which are then mailed in even so, it could take weeks to receive results. For those facilities using an AFIS, the whole procedure is carried out electronically and it saves a lot of time and manpower.”

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Biometric details can also be used within the walls of the facility to verify inmate info. “By storing an inmate’s biometric details, facilities can figure out no matter whether or not the very same inmate has been incarcerated within the facility just before, and if so, generating duplicate copies of their records upon entry can be avoided,” Trader said. Records can assist maintain track of inmates and even safeguard the facility from lawsuits. “By implementing biometric readers at access points, such as the library or the well being services, jails can prove the inmate has been given access to these areas. There were circumstances where an inmate would sue the prison upon release, stating proper care was denied,” Trader said. For inmate release and other services such as the distribution of medicine, biometrics can support verify the identity of a person. Keeping biometric records of visitors can expedite standard visits. “Jails need to regulate the men and women who are allowed to visit the facility,” Trader said. “Also, family members members who are frequent visitors can store their biometric information in the database and steer clear of having to fill out the same forms each and every time they come in.” There are a selection of biometric modalities that are suitable for this purpose, such as fingerprint, finger/ palm vein and iris/face recognition. Biometrics are primarily used for identification rather than access control. “Facial recognition is widely utilized, though mostly for record keeping,” said Aluisio Figueiredo, COO of Intelligent Security Systems. “Fingerprint technology is at times employed for access control simply because it is a much more cost-efficient option.” According to Trivitayakhun, smart cards are rarely used because they can be stolen and utilized as knives. “Instead, we use RFID tokens and to gain access, the user must present either the token with a PIN or a fingerprint. We would never permit only a token for access. Also, the access control device itself can be utilised to send an alarm by punching in a particular sequence throughout an emergency.”

Scanners

Scanners, such as metal detectors and X-ray machines, are largely used to avoid contraband items from entering the facility. X-ray machines have raised privacy and well being concerns, which is why option technologies are becoming introduced. “Thermal booster infrared technologies is new on the marketplace and it is a combination of an infrared camera and a heat source,” said Peter Harris, CSO of ISCON Video Imaging. “They are less pricey than X-ray machines and have been proven effective in the detection of items hidden under clothing.” Thermal scanning can add other capabilities such as facial recognition, explosive detection or heart-rate checks to see if users are nervous, Harris said. Nevertheless, the infrared camera could have trouble detecting items a individual has carried for a long time, as its temperature could be too close to body temperature.  By using technologies such as scanners, inmates and visitors will not need to have to be subjugated to strip searches or invasive pat-downs, which can also aid deter unnecessary and false sexual harassment claims.

IP UPTAKE

A clear view of all corners of a facility is required in a prison, which is why megapixel and HD video sees strong demand. “Megapixel technology is capable of delivering complete awareness in all prison areas with out requiring a security guard for each and every cell pod, which could save a lot more than US million annually,” said Rick Ramsay, Senior Product Manager, Avigilon. The surveillance system need to be able to identify people in the general surroundings and detect them when hidden. “HD offers up to five times higher resolution and twice the linear resolution compared to conventional analog,” Jasmani said. “Furthermore, it comes with wide-screen format and DVD-quality audio.” Thermal cameras are utilized to detect folks, objects and incidents in complete darkness. “They can pick up images even when it is obscured by smoke, haze, dust and light fog,” Jasmani said. “Also, they are immune to difficulties with light conditions and regular shadows, therefore achieving higher accuracy than conventional cameras in most intelligent video applications.” Not all facilities have the money to obtain a lot of megapixel and HD cameras and supply adequate storage. “Dedicated cameras are still widely used for corridors and essential areas, such as entrances and exits, and megapixel cameras are utilized for central areas where entire areas need to be taken in,” said Herve Fages, Global Marketing Director for Pelco (a Schneider Electric business). A lot of facilities are already equipped with analog cameras and disposing all of them would be a waste. “In general, we see megapixel and HD as a rapidly expanding marketplace as prisons use analog encoders to record existing cameras, construct hybrid systems and install HD cameras over time as need and spending budget allows,” Ramsay said.

“HD gives up to five times higher resolution and twice the linear resolution compared to conventional analog,” said Nafis Jasmani, Sales Manager for ASEAN at Axis Communications.”

WIRED UP

Though far more network cameras are becoming utilized by the general CCTV business, prisons in the U.K. at present prefer challenging wired technologies. “Fiber optics is employed for transmission due to its reliability and resilience to electrical interference,” said Ron Harris, Technical Sales Manager and Senior Security Consultant, Quadrant Security. “Wireless transmission for high- security applications is still not totally trusted at this moment in the U.K.” However, there are scenarios when wireless is required. “Maintain in mind that these facilities are produced of really challenging concrete and often it could be challenging to retrofit a program given that drilling will take up too much time and effort,” Figueiredo said, “This is when wireless transmission is used. Even so, all the new facilities becoming built rely on fiber-optic transmission.” Not all cable is made equal. “High humidity levels can ruin copper cables in three to 4 years,” Trivitayakhun said, “By utilizing fiber optics, costs can be cut from the constant replacement of copper cabling required to maintain transmissions stable.”

REDUNDANCY

When security is of utmost importance, recording redundancy is no tiny matter. “Redundancy is normally achieved making use of failover servers,” Ramsay said. This makes it possible for for dedicated servers to be offered to automatically failover or a distributed approach where all the servers have extra capacity accessible to manage cameras from 1 server if it becomes unavailable. Some high-security locations make use of redundant recording to mirror storage off-site. Even when electricity is switched off, backup generators allow access to the method. All information is archived for a minimum of 30 days and the method has the capacity to retain 60 days of info, Trivitayakhun said. Data is saved in a secure location and can be migrated to the headquarters for viewing or storage. Nevertheless, there are facilities where there is no backup system in place. “Processes around the redundancy of the systems and hardware replication are dependent on the risk assessment established by the operators of the facility,” said Sanjeev Vanmali, Security Account Manager for South APAC, Honeywell Developing Solutions. Some facilities may possibly not supply redundancy due to budget constraints or it becoming deemed unnecessary. The monitoring room is usually at an isolated location that tends to be challenging, if not impossible, to be broken into. However, in some cases the monitoring is done remotely. In Portugal, there usually is a central monitoring station that is respon- sible for numerous prisons, Figueiredo said.

OTHER TECHNOLOGIES

New techniques to secure prison facilities are becoming discovered. Sound technology is utilised to pick up on aggression. “The method is capable of running on cameras and video recorder systems where it analyses sound input to offer real-time alerts,” said Chris Mitchell, founder and CEO of Audio Analytic. “The system has been trained on hundreds of examples of individuals becoming aggressive and these sound packs can be utilized to identify hazardous situations as soon as they occur. Also, it is essential to note that the system does not necessarily enable the operator to hear any sound in the control center.”

FUTURE

The implementation of digital technology is improving in recent projects to almost 50 percent, according to Vanmali. New merchandise are relying on digital technology and it is important to locate techniques to convert technologies from the analog world to the digital formats. “There are limitations that exist with older facilities and their lack of network infrastructure,” said Tom Coxford, Sales Manager for Canada, Senstar. 1 way to prolong a system’s lifespan is to use open platforms. “Making use of open technologies standards enable easy integration and scalability,” Jasmani said.

New command and control centers that can operate numerous systems from various manufacturers will be expected in the future, said Arlene Perdomo, Advertising Coordinator, Safeguards Technology. Open video systems — combined with the rewards of networking, digital imaging and camera intelligence — constitute an successful indicates of security surveillance and remote monitoring. “Live views and recordings of incidents can be both nearby and remotely situated to ensure that at no time is information becoming compromised,” Jasmani said. “The high availability of the system offers comfort to the authorities such that ought to anything happen in the correction facility, they have data in their hands at all times.” In terms of detection, numerous firms are working on stand-off recognition, where a camera can see proper away if they are attempting to smuggle in an item under their clothing. “This way unnecessary touching can be avoided,” Harris of ISCON said. A totally integrated method will be the way of the future. “One method will be able to control everything — from the doors to the elevators — producing the facility as secure as feasible,” Trivitayakhun said. “Wardens would be able to guide their colleagues in the event of a vital incident and time settings can be set to lock doors or play prerecorded audio clips. Even the lights and TVs can be turned on and off by the command center.” By having full control of the facility, regulating inmates will grow to be safer and more secure.

WORDS FROM AN END-USER

Oklahoma County Sheriff, Captain David Baisden, talks about the renovation at the Oklahoma County Jail

Our facilities began with only 1 PTZ camera in each and every of the 30 pods, which was on a tour to record events at our facility. In the course of a visit from the US Department of Justice, we had been told our security program was completely unacceptable. One of the modifications we were told we needed to make was to have 1 individual on the floor and 1 individual in every pod office. That would have been a 200-person hire, which would have been unaffordable. Fortunately, throughout my search for a much better security method, I came across megapixel technology. I discovered out I could use 1 16-megapixel camera to replace up to 50 conventional cameras. Storage costs have also gone down, generating the entire project a lot more inexpensive. In the previous six to eight years, the sheriff’s office had been unable to offer any videos that could be utilised to safeguard prisoners or stop fraudulent lawsuits against officers. But in the initial 30 days soon after the installation, the sheriff’s office was able to submit more than 30 videos to the district attorney’s office for prosecution. Investigation time has also been cut drastically — from days or weeks due to the long procedure of interviewing witnesses — to a mere few hours. We used to average 300 altercations per month. But given that the introduction of megapixel technologies in our facilities, violence has dropped 90 percent and we now average approximately 30 altercations per month. It has definitely made our prison a significantly safer place.