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Prisoner Seat Belt And Public Safety

Posted on 12. Nov, 2015 by Mattie Knight in Marketing

Transporting detainees from one venue to another, especially if they are dangerous characters, is a risky business. Inmates often view transportation as an opportunity to abscond. They may plan ahead and formulate a complicated bid for freedom with help from associates both inside and outside the prison. Those who haven’t carefully planned and calculated their escape may seize a sudden opportunity. The danger escalates if the inmate comes into potential contact with the public. A secure prisoner seat belt in the transport vehicle is an essential element in accomplishing a trouble-free transfer of personnel.

There are loads of occasions when it is necessary to move someone. For instance, they are transported twice a day, to and from the courthouse, while they are on trial. Once convicted, they may be transferred to another institution. During the course of their incarceration, it may become necessary to take them to a hospital or on compassionate leave for a family occasion like a wedding or a funeral.

The best restraining equipment allows law enforcement officers to place the passenger in the vehicle securely without needing to reach over them. Physical proximity between detainee and his or her escort offers a serious risk of physical harm to both parties. At the very least, the subject should be handcuffed. If there is a known or suspected risk that the subject is violent, it is not uncommon to see them in leg irons especially if they are going to pass through an unsecured area.

Many transport operations occur at night to reduce the possibility of harm to members of the public. Transfers may be carried out by local law enforcement officers or by specially trained outside contractors. Risk assessments are carried out in advance of the transfer, especially if the individual being moved is considered difficult or dangerous.

Real-time verbal communication between all agencies involved in the transfer is essential if the transport is going to take place without incident. The escorting officers, representatives of the originating venue and the receiving venue should all be able to communicate freely via radio.

More than 300 escape attempts are made each year during prisoner transfers. Of these, more than two-thirds utilize a caged vehicle; in 84 percent of these instances, the inmate is able to escape from the back seat of the vehicle. More than 10 percent of officers are hurt and 3 percent are killed in the course of their transfer duties. However, several thousand detainees are moved without incident all over the country every day.

Some criminals will stop at nothing to avoid spending the rest of their lives in jail. It is not unheard of for a detainee to try and gain control of the vehicle in an effort to cause a fatal accident. This highlights the need for leaving no stone unturned in an effort to secure the transferee, including handcuffs, leg chains and even body chains if necessary.

It is not unusual for corrections officers or law enforcement personnel to think of escorting prisoners as drawing the short straw. Management should emphasize that this challenging and dangerous task is critical in the judicial process.

Read more about The Facts About Prisoner Seat Belt And Other Safety Equipment.

Mattie Knight

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