Saturday, November 14, 2015

Prisoner Seat Belt And Public Safety

By Mattie Knight


From time to time, jailed inmates need to be moved from one place to another. The transfer process is rich with opportunities to make a bid to escape and it is not uncommon for detainees to use this time to their advantage. Sometimes prisoners have been carefully honing and perfecting their plan for weeks before the journey, while others may seize an opportune moment. Such incidents pose a substantial threat to the public and corrections officers need to plan for every eventuality. A prisoner seat belt constructed of strong, modern materials is one strategy for effecting a smooth prisoner transfer.

There are several reasons why prisoners have to be transported. During a trial, they often have to be moved to and from the courtroom every day, sometimes for several weeks. Detainees are often transferred from one prison to another. Still others are driven to hospitals, weddings, funerals and other similar occasions.

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.

Close verbal communication among all parties involved in the transfer is essential for an incident-free exchange. This is likely to include the escort team itself, representatives from the originating and receiving venues and anyone who might be affected by the transfer.

In the United States, around 300 prisoners escape each year while being transferred from one location to another. More than two-thirds of these individuals manage to free themselves from caged vehicles and more than four-fifths from the back seat. Ten percent of escorting officers are injured and three percent are killed. While all injuries and deaths are to be avoided, thousands of prison inmates are exchanged between sites every day all over the United States.

Prisoners who are facing the prospect of a life sentence are especially liable to launch a suicide bid in order to avoid spending their remaining days in a jail cell. In extreme cases, prisoners have been known to violently take control of the vehicle in an attempt to effect a fatal traffic accident. This drives home the point that every effort must be made to secure an incident-free transfer. In addition to handcuffs, leg irons and even body chains should be considered where necessary.

Escorting criminals is dangerous work. Management should emphasize this to the staff who will be accompanying the prisoner and assure them that their jobs are an essential element in making the judicial process work.




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