Body Worn Cameras for Correctional Facilities

Body Worn Camera solutions for Correctional Facilities

Body worn camera solutions are becoming more commonplace in correctional facilities to keep officers and inmates safer. When you think of body cameras it’s natural to think of police officers rather than correctional officers. However, while the interactions within the corrections industry differ from those in law enforcement, the reasons for implementing a video solution are similar.

Corrections officers may have to defuse an altercation between inmates just like a police officer may have to defuse an interaction between civilians, and body-worn cameras capture those incidents and provide context.

However, it may not be necessary for a police officer to record their entire shift, but a corrections officer most likely will have multiple interactions per shift and use their cameras many more times to record incidents throughout their day as they constantly come in contact with inmates.

In addition to body cameras, cameras can be mounted on prisoner vans or transport vehicles to monitor inmate activity and have video evidence of a prisoner’s whereabouts before, during, and after transportation.

Safety

The biggest reason to implement a body worn camera solution is to keep everyone safe — not just the corrections officers but also the inmates. After all, while inmates are there for a reason serving their time, they still deserve to be held in safe living conditions.

Accountability 

Corrections facilities not only want to hold their inmates accountable but also their officers. The presence of body cameras means there is no denying how an incident unfolded. And should an officer’s behavior come into question regarding inmate care, then the accountability falls on the corrections facility in disciplining the officer appropriately.

Exonerate Officers

As prisons become increasingly overcrowded, corrections officers can’t monitor everyone. Unfortunately, it’s a hard truth. Because of the high inmate-to-officer ratio, if an altercation wasn’t captured on CCTV, it’s often a case of he said, she said between inmates and officers, and in those situations, the truth rarely comes out.

With body-worn cameras, officers can capture an incident and the footage can be reviewed, exonerating an officer from any wrongdoing. Correctional officers have a tough job and false accusations, unfortunately, are quite common.

The Florida study found a 70% reduction in allegations of excessive force after implementing body-worn cameras.

Body-worn cameras also mean the onus isn’t on the officer to remember every single detail. Incidents happen quickly, and it can be difficult for corrections officers to recall the events exactly as they happened while trying to de-escalate a situation.

Tell the Whole Story

Everyone wants to know the truth, and body-worn cameras show exactly what happened. If there are several officers involved in a single incident, that means there are multiple points of view involved, making it easier to figure out how an incident took place.

CCTVs are stationary and only cover a small section of the prison. They have blind spots, and crucial actions could be missed if solely relying on CCTVs. You don’t want to take a chance your CCTVs will miss an important event.

Off Set Costs with Grants

Many states are requiring law enforcement agencies to purchase body-worn cameras for their department, often offering grants to help offset the cost of outfitting an entire agency.

These grants don’t just include state and local police officers; body cameras for correctional officers generally are covered with these grants. Even if you don’t have the biggest budget, there are solutions available for you.

No matter the size of your correctional facility, Pro-Vision has the scalable and versatile solution to fit your needs.

More about Pro-Vision…

Founded in 2003, Pro-Vision is a leading video technology solutions provider trusted by thousands of organizations in 58 countries. Pro-Vision solutions include vehicle video recording systems, body-worn cameras, data management and cloud-based storage solutions. Pro-Vision’s transit, law enforcement, and commercial partners utilize these solutions to enhance safety, increase productivity and protect critical assets.