Importance Of Prisoner Transport Systems

By Stacey Burt


Moving inmates from one place to another is one of the most dangerous things yet it cannot be avoided since it is part of law enforcement. Prisoners can do just about anything on the way so that they never get to prison. The law enforcement agencies did not take this seriously until a thriller by Nicolas cage showed how it is very possible for the inmates to make plans and manage to escape. Prisoner transport systems are therefore a huge part of the correctional system. It must be taken very seriously because it can even lead to severe consequences like death of guards.

Incarceration rates were not that high until the crime levels became very high in the 1980s. Due to the increase in the number of inmates, it became necessary for more correctional facilities to be built. With more prisons grew the need to move prisoners from one to another. For example, a prisoner may need to be moved to another facility because of organizational transfers, a health appointment or if they have developed some kind of a mental problem.

The number of prisoners that are transported from one correctional facility to another in a day is very high. If logistics are correct, they state that around 200 prisoners are moved between around 32 correctional facilities every single day. Many prisoners take this as a good chance to finally escape hence the danger to the people taking care of the movement.

There are many methods that the inmates can utilize to escape from the guards during the movement. One of the ways is through the confronting of the guards. This may even create accidents that are also harmful to innocent citizens at the place of the criminal activity. This is the reason why it is important to specially coach the guards so that they understand how to take care of such situations.

Not every law enforcement officer can be given the responsibility of transporting the inmates. There are some critical qualities that an officer must possess before they can be given this responsibility. For example, they must be able to shoot from moving cars and they should also have a very high level of physical and mental fitness. They must also be capable of detecting unfamiliar situations so that they can stop escape plots before they happen.

The best way to transport prisoners safely is to make a simple assumption that all prisoners are considering the possibility of escaping. With this assumption, the officers will be able to take precautionary measures and be very careful throughout the trip. They will also be very observant of the surrounding to make sure they are not followed to their new destination.

Communication is among the key factors which can help wardens when there is any escape plot by the inmates. They should be well armed with communication devices that will assist them to ask for assistance if anything takes place. It is very difficult to avert the inmates if they are many compared to the officers. Every single detail must be taken into deliberation during the trip to avoid escape incidents.

However, the assumption that the prisoners can escape does not mean that they are actually planning the escape. For this reason, the officers should not treat them badly because they are assuming they plan to escape. Inmates also have their own human rights and they deserve to be treated fairly.




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