Your response must be at least two pages in length, double spaced. You are required to use at least one outside source.All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying APA citations.

Question: The role of a correctional officer takes many path...

 

The role of a correctional officer takes many paths and presents many situations. Near the top of the list is safety, regardless of where the officer is working. However, add into the prison setting gangs, and the level of safety being compromised rises significantly. Using the CSU Library, choose the Criminal Justice link. In the search box, input Containing Contraband, then select the option in the list that comes up, by author Michael Grohs, entitled “Containing Contraband.” Given the age of technology we live in, upon reading the article, provide a detailed analysis regarding the following: BCJ 2002, Theory and Practices of Corrections

1) How is contraband, specifically cell phones, dangerous to the safety of correctional officers?

2) Argue which specific technology device mentioned in the article you feel best combats contraband within the prison setting. Be specific and provide at least two examples not mentioned in the lecture, textbook, or article.

3) How does a correctional officer deal with gang activity within the correctional institution?

4) Finally, break down ways for which security at prisons can be improved, especially for the correctional officer, and present at least three ideas that could help bring safety to a higher level, while explaining specifically how to reach them.

Your response must be at least two pages in length, double spaced. You are required to use at least one outside source. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying APA citations.

HERE IS THE ARTICLE MENTIONED ABOVE:

How these security tools such as full body scanners, cell phone sensors, walk-through scanners, and even netting, thwart smuggled imports.

In prison, contraband can mean life or death. Weapons can be used for assaults or suicides, illicit drugs can lead to overdoses and a dangerous black market, and cell phones can be used to intimidate witnesses, plan escapes, plot crimes and, of course, be used to import more contraband. Cell phones are only a part of the problem, too.

Dana Simas, spokesperson at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation points out that all contraband is a problem, and that it is mainly created by the tie between street and prison gangs. It enters the facility in an infinite number of ways. Low-level offenders who can work might pick up a drop, even around a secure perimeter. In fact, John Scarperia, owner of New Jersey-based TexNet, states that facilities are taking notice of the increased use of netting and more are inquiring about netting placed either around the entire facility or focusing on certain prone areas, such as those near woods. Due to issues, Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) has had to install a mile of 40-foot-high netting at vulnerable spots at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility.

It's long been known too that contraband is imported by staff and visitors. Simas furthers that multiple people are arrested each weekend for introducingcontraband into a facility. Tobacco, drugs, weapons and cell phones all make their way into prisons on a regular basis. She notes that with 65,000 employees who have contact with inmates, there are bound to be a few bad apples. (In a stunning saga worthy of its own HBO series, as of November 2013, 27 correctional officers at the Baltimore City Detention Center have been indicted on federal racketeering and conspiracy charges. Federal investigators believe that at least half of the officers at the facility helped inmates smuggle contraband into the center.)

In less than a decade, cell phone seizures have exploded, becoming one of the biggest problems corrections officials face. According to the CDCR, in 2007 there were 1,400 seizures. In 2013 there were 12,151. In the first three months of 2014 alone, 2,809 cell phones have been seized in California correctional facilities and conservation camps. In 2011, Governor Brown signed into law a bill (SB 26) that makes cell phone smuggling into correctional facilities a misdemeanor punishable by six months in jail and a $5,000 fine for each device.

One device called Cellsense, manufactured by Metrasens, a U.K.- and U.S.-based organization founded by three Ph.D level scientists with backgrounds dedicated completely to detection, can detect phones whether they are turned on or off, whether they are whole or in pieces, and even if they are hidden in a human body cavity. It can detect 40 inmates per minute as they walk at a regular pace, and it can be hidden behind a wall so the inmates will not know they are being searched. It can also detect other items of interest to officers such as weapons, tattoo guns, lighters and other forms of potential weapons. In one instance, upon adoption of the use of Cellsense in North Carolina, the devices found 60 phones on the very first search.

Clearly, though, the war on cell phones in prisons is similar to the war on drugs. There is no way to completely stop the tide, so the CDCR is fighting technology with technology. Employees from the CDCR, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the California Technology Agency traveled to a facility in Mississippi that had implemented a Managed Access System to test the potential for establishing a similar one in California facilities. (In Mississippi, 26,000 text messages were intercepted in the first few days.) With this technology, says Simas, employees can open an umbrella of coverage around a certain area to block all calls, Internet use, text messaging, etc. The technology, according to the CDCR, "utilizes the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI), cellular phone number, mobile device hardware ID, and electronic serial number (ESN) to accomplish these functions." It is currently being installed in the 16th prison in the state, and the CDCR expects it to be in use in all facilities by sometime in 2014.

The technology differs from cell phone jamming, which the CDCR's website stresses is not the solution to inmate cell phone use. For one, Managed Access has FCC approval and cell phone jamming does not. Jamming, in fact, is illegal under federal law. (The Communications Act does not allow the use of jamming devices by non-federal entities, and the FCC cannot waive this provision without an act of Congress.) There is also the matter of jamming technology interfering with 911 and public safety communications. The contract, which was awarded to Global Tel*Link in 2012 was implemented at no charge to taxpayers.

Ostensibly Innocuous

When it comes to contraband, nothing is as it seems. Scarperia recalls an incident in which a green soccer ball appeared on a field where only black and white balls were used. The green ball was filled with a cell phone, marijuana and tobacco. Simple devices that seem innocuous can be turned into dangerous weapons, which in turn can lead to a huge liability for the facility. Naturally metal is of particular concern. Presumably all, or at least the majority, of facilities require visitors and incoming inmates to pass through a metal detector, but that might not be enough. Strip searches, a longtime Constitutional debate, are being revolutionized. Devices such as the BOSS (Body Orifice Security Scanner) can detect metal concealed inside five primary detection zones in the human body.

When the contraband is not metal, other methods of revealing it, such as Smiths Detection's BScan, are available. In April 2014, the CDCR adopted the use of Electronic Drug Detection Equipment (ion scanners), a noninvasive measure that can test for a range of narcotics and detect the presence on hands, clothing, mail and other items within seconds. Those controversial full body scanners (FBS) once used in airports are now being used in some correctional facilities. Collier County, Florida, adopted the use of one in 2011 as well as several facilities in Michigan. (According to the TSA, there are two types of FBSs, and airports are generally using the ones leaving the most privacy to passengers, thus leaving the more invasive scanners-the ones most desirable for correctional use-up for sale.) While the $160,000 price tag may be of concern, Dar Leaf, the Barry County Sherriff says that they were able to acquire one for $7,500 after help from the county's insurance provider. Livingston County, N.Y., has five. All five were purchased for $15,000 because of a Federal Surplus Program.

Contraband Busters

Concealed screener

Cellsense is the highly portable and efficient detector of all cell phones, even those switched off or concealed in a body cavity. Faster than a hand wand, Cellsense screens up to 40 inmates per minute in a single walk-by. Cellsense also detects other contraband such as knives, blades, and lighters.

www.cellsensegroup.com, 630.541.6509, s..s@cellsensegroup.com

In a heartbeat

MicroSearch is a one-of-a-kind security inspection system that offers fast, accurate, and costeffective human presence detection for vehicles entering or exiting a correctional facility or secure area. It detects unauthorized individuals hiding in vehicles or containers by sensing the vibrations caused by the human heartbeat, eliminating the timeconsuming and expensive task of unloading and inspecting the entire vehicle or container.

www.ensco.com/microsearch, 1.800.ENSCOVA, L..d@ensco.com

X-ray inspection system

The Autoclear 6040 X-ray system is ideal for screening personal items, mail and cell mattresses for weapons, narcotics and other contraband. High resolution imaging and advanced image enhancement features let you quickly locate SIM cards, handcuff keys, blades and more. Its small footprint easily fits in tight spaces or through standard doorways for mobile screening applications within your facility.

www.a-clear.com, 973.276.6000, i..o@aclear.com

Multi-target detector

The Garrett PD-6500Í walkthrough metal detector includes more than 20 application programs, including specialized weapons detection programs for prisons designed to detect all metals. The PD-6500Í provides uniform detection while accurately pinpointing multiple target locations from head to toe on the left, center, and right sides of the body.

www.garrett.com, 1.800.234.6151, s..y@garrett.com

Infrared full-body scanner

The Iscon 1000D Portal provides quick full-body scans ideal for the diverse requirements of correction facilities. Iscon's patented infrared technology produces visual images of all types of concealed contraband (plastics, metals, powders, wood, ceramics, liquids, capsules etc.). This automated system is radiation-free, so prisoners, visitors, and personnel are safe from harmful rays.

www.isconimaging.com, i..o@isconimaging.com or s..s@isconimaging.com

Mini infrared scanner

The Iscon Mini Portal is a semi-automated body scanner that uses patented infrared tech- nology to make concealed objects visible. This compact, flexible and radiation-free system can scan a whole body or concentrate on specific suspicious areas. Mini Portal allows quick and easy identification of all types of concealed objects (plastics, metals, powders, wood, ceramics, liquids, capsules etc.).

www.isconimaging.com, i..o@isconimaging.com or s..s@isconimaging.com

Body orifice metal scanner

Ranger Security's B.O.S.S. (Body Orifice Security Scanner) is used in some of the toughest jails and prisons in the country to detect all conductive metalcontraband hidden in body cavities. Ranger collaborated with correctional facilities to meet and exceed the demands those facilities require. The procedure is non-intrusive, fast, safe, sanitary and can scan the five primary detection zones.

www.rangersecurity.com, 915.590.4441, info@ rangersecurity.com

IDs knives, guns and makeshift weapons

The Hl-SCAN 6040-2is is the latest advanced dual-view X-ray inspection system from Smiths Detection for personal belongings, such as bags or shoes. Its compact footprint and various options for configuration ensure reliable, efficient throughput in any checkpoint setting. The modern, ergonomic design provides an easy-to-use interface, making it easier for the operator to identify threats and dangerous or illegal objects on screen such as knives, guns or other makeshift weapons. It features steel penetration of 35mm, and is available in standard and high resolution.

Concealed contraband locator

The B-SCAN transmission Xray people screening system locates threats and contraband concealed in body cavities, artificial limbs and on a person. Smiths Detection's B-SCAN uses fixed X-ray components for an easily maintained, reliable mechanical construction with a low cost of ownership. Smiths Detection currently has more than 200 B-SCAN systems deployed around the world in a variety of applications such as prisons, airports, precious gem mines, and customs checkpoints.

www.smithsdetection.com, 203.207.9700, u..a@smithsdetection.com

Netting Contraband

TexNet, Inc. is a New Jerseybased manufacturer of industrial fabric. Too often contraband is thrown over a fence-both incoming and outgoing. TexNet manufactures nets to prevent this from happening. The nets stretch 40 feet above grade and contain a trough into which the contraband will fall so it cannot be retrieved. The mesh has a VA" opening so as not to be too intensive on engineering aspects such as pole weight and wind loads. Their installation crews work across the country to install the cost effective security nets.

www.catchallnet.com, 1.800.541.1123, T..c@aol.com

Sidebar

IN SOME COUNTRIES THEY'VE BEEN USING CATS TO GET CELL PHONES INTO PRISONS. IN THE U.S. THEY USE DOGS TO GET THEM OUT.