One of the most challenging and dangerous jobs in law enforcement is that of the corrections officer. The many responsibilities laid upon them can range from peace keeping to preventing escape. In short, they have to block dangerous criminals from getting out and keep weapons, drugs and other contraband from getting in.
Thermal imaging technology may assist them in all their various duties. First, let's examine a few examples of uses inside prisons. TIs can obviously be a great asset in surveillance of inmates in lowlight situations. Where shadowy or darker areas can hide the activities of inmates, thermal imaging shows the heat signatures of people and objects no matter how dark the situation. Imagine what an asset thermal imaging would be if a prison lost power!
Often, inmates love to participate in "arts and crafts" while incarcerated. Corrections officers are on the lookout for the kinds of arts and crafts that will help inmates escape or harm someone else. To make a shank, inmates have been known to grind an object against something inside the cell. The grinding or friction used to make this shank could be hard to detect with the human eye, unless a corrections officer walks past the cell and catches the inmate in the process. However, with a TI an officer can scan or inspect the area and readily detect any hotspots were grinding may have recently occurred.
Thermal imaging is also a valuable tool when used by corrections officers outside the cells and halls of prisons. In prison yards, inclement weather like rain or fog can make observations of inmates almost impossible at times. Again, thermal imaging is not affected by these conditions and can see through fog and rain. This also makes thermal imaging a great choice for securing prison facilities at night. Corrections officers can observe prison gates and perimeters without shining powerful spotlights on them. This reminds me of the old prison break movies where the guards are scanning the areas with their spotlights and the criminals just hide from the cone of light and jump the fence to freedom. Good luck trying those moves to evade thermal imaging: there are no more shadows in which to hide.
Finally, riots - whether inside a prison or in the prison yard - can be a worst-case scenario for many correctional facilities. While smoke and gas can effectively subdue inmates, they also prevent correctional officers from effectively observing or acting in the scene. With thermal imaging, officers can use the blinding effects of smoke or gas to their advantage. Just as thermal imaging can "see" through fog, it can also allow officers to monitor inmates through the smoke or gas cloud, giving officers a leg up on the action.
As shown in the previous examples, employing thermal imaging technology inside correctional facilities effectively reduces much of the uncertainty created by lowlight or smoky conditions. It also allows officers to work as investigators looking for evidence of illicit activities, such as the heat signature left immediately after the creation of tools or weapons. These are just a few of the ways thermal imaging can assist in securing your correctional facility. It's important to understand that thermal imaging can supplement your current procedures and tools. Keep the upper hand over inmates by incorporating thermal imaging as one of the many tools in your arsenal.
