Designing Secure Prisoner Computer Systems

Advances in technology have brought an enormous range of benefits and efficiencies to all areas of society and correctional institutions have been early adopters of many of these advances. From real-time RFID location tracking to biometrics, heart-beat sensors, iris scanners, microwave detectors, and more, prisons are not averse to implementing secure technological solutions. However correctional facilities often avoid inmate-facing computers due to the many security and safety concerns. The deployment of computers in a correctional facility is a complex issue and mistakes can have serious consequences. Assuming these concerns can be solved, the introduction of computers into a correctional environment can bring substantial benefits to the prison, the inmates, and consequently to society as a whole. This publication provides a prescriptive overview of in-cell interactive technology in prisons allowing the reader to re-formulate the ideas and recipes provided for their jurisdiction and prison reality.