The Facts About Prisoner Seat Belt And Other Safety Equipment

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 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.

A safety belt for a prisoner needs to be able to accommodate them safely and comfortably while having their hands cuffed behind their back. It should also allow the escorting officers to belt them in without having to reach across the prisoner's body, which presents an opportunity for the detainee to strike out in a bid to get free. For particularly violent or unstable passengers, officers should not hesitate to use leg irons if necessary, especially if they are going to be passing through an unsecured area where they are likely to encounter members of the public.

It is imperative to contain the prisoner and keep them from grabbing an innocent bystander and creating a hostage situation. Specifically trained personnel like law enforcement officers, prison guards or specialized outside contractors are the only types of staff that should be allowed to transport prisoners. Management should always perform a risk assessment well in advance of the day of the actual transfer.

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.

An average of 309 escapes during transfer take place each year. Of these, 68 percent were from a caged vehicle and in 84 percent of incidence, the detainee escaped from the rear seat of the vehicle. More than one in ten correction officers are injured and 3 percent are killed. To keep these figures in perspective, it should be noted that thousands of inmates are transported uneventfully throughout the nation each day.

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.

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.




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