NAVIGATION

: TV-report : Lower Austria today, 16-08-2016, Jammer in Prisons

PrisonPhone

PrisonPhone is a vandal-proof public phone specifically designed for correctional facilities. The telephone features the highest standards of security, reliability and ease of use. And due to PrisonPhone fully meeting the strict requirements of its very special area of application, it has quickly become accepted standard in prison facilities of numerous Western European countries, e.g. in Germany and the Netherlands.

But first of all, PrisonPhone offers reliable and high-quality prisoner telephony. In addition, it leads to a considerable reduction of the corrections officers' workload for the overall system is providing added value in terms of administration and security in all areas.

How it works

After successful user identification via PIN, bar code, RFID tag or PIN plus live identification (via webcam, controllable by random from the corrections officers' office PC) prisoners are allowed to place phone calls within their predefined scope of authorizations, provided that they have available call credit on their account.

PrisonPhone offers extensive monitoring and recording capabilities, including the ability to archive phone calls for later review by corrections officers who can also spontaneously decide to listen in or record phone calls whenever considered as mandatory.

Additional feature: free of charge hotline for prisoners' emotional support

PrisonPhone can be expanded with a free of charge telephone hotline that gives prisoners professional support in emotional states of emergency. Although this offer is time-limited to the prison cell opening hours and only accessible to the prisoners in the public prison areas - whereas PrivacyPhone allows prisoners the 24/7 hotline access in the privacy of their prison cells - this is an important and effective measure that may even save prisoners' lives.

Video telephony

PrisonPhone can further be upgraded with video telephony. Therefore, the telephone's housing will be expanded so as to include a large-screen colour display. Together with the VideoVisit technology, prisoners and families - provided that these are equipped accordingly for video telephony - are being offered the chance of communicating face to face. This is in fact an important measure to enhance the relationship between prisoners and their families - especially those families who are living farther away and can't come by for regular visits.

Technical components and modules

PrisonPhone telephone device with stainless steel housing
barcode scanner (optional for user identification via barcode)
RFID reader (optional for user identification via RFID Tag)
webcam (optional for user identification)
colour display for video telephony (VideoVisit technology)

PrisonPhone features at a glance

available as initial installation or replacement
easy, intuitive handling
high automation
billing via prisoner call account
centralised control and administration via PC
optional: extendable by video telephony module (VideoVisit technlogy)

Short information PrisonCom

VisitPhone

VisitPhone is a secure communications solution specifically designed for prisons' visitation areas. The high quality system enables smooth communication across the separating glass wall. VisitPhone is based on the PrisonPhone technology and, hence, offering the same level of control features and high voice quality.

The VisitPhone housing is made up of easy to clean and vandal-proof stainless steel ensuring a long service life in the facility.

PrivacyPhone

PrivacyPhone is an intelligent telephone system allowing prisoners to make phone calls from inside their prison cells and thus in privacy. Undisturbed, but of course still far from unlimited or uncontrolled, since all call data are logged and each call can easily become listened in, recorded and archived from the corrections officers' PCs.

PrivacyPhone consists of a compact telephone device with an USB connection. The system is based on the technical infra- structure of PrisonPhone. To make it available for use it has to become connected to an USB port that is integrated into a stainless steel panel embedded into the prison cell wall.

A sabotage alarm protects the panel against any form of tampering or manipulation. A further protective mechanism ensures that the USB port is exclusively usable for PrivacyPhone and no other electronic device of any kind. For hygiene and psychological reasons, the handsets completing the system have to be purchased by the prisoners for a small nominal fee of 12€.

With connecting the handset to the panel's USB port prisoners are allowed to make phone calls within the limits of their individual authorizations and credits. There is no prior authentication required.

PrisonCall featuring PrivacyPhone

As an alternative to the PrivacyPhone panel, PrisonCall, too, can be expanded with Privacy-Phone provided that the facility should already be equipped with the system or might also be interested in the broad spectrum of services thereby being put at disposal (see next tab for further details).

Additional feature: free of charge hotline for prisoners' emotional support

PrisonPhone and PrivacyPhone is expandable with a free of charge telephone hotline that gives prisoners professional support in emotional states of emergency. And in contrast to PrisonPhone, PrivacyPhone enables the prisoners to access this service 24 hours the day, seven days the week within the privacy of their prison cell. An important and due to comprehensive privacy protection even more effective measure that may save prisoners' lives.

A current test series confirms impressively that the generally very high rate of suicide attempts that prisons encounter which result in huge psychological stress for both prisoners and staff can be significantly reduced by giving prisoners this option to share their states of anxiety and despair.

PrivacyPhone features at a glance

free choosable telephone times, thereby reduced potential for conflicts in telephone queues
available as first-time installation or replacement
easy, intuitive handling
high automation
billing via prisoner account
centralised control and administration via PC (web based)
option: PrivacyPhone upgrade to 24/7 counselling hotline

Connection possibilities

PrivacyPhone offers integrated or external power supply. No new cables have to be laid for installation, since the system can always be attached to the existing cabling:

via Ethernet with external power supply
via Ethernet with Power over Ethernet (PoE)
via PowerLAN
via cable TV cabling with external power supply

Technical components and modules

PrivacyPhone panel
Stainless steel panel with USB port to be embedded into the prison cell wall
PrivacyPhone handset
Offered for purchase to prisoners against a small nominal fee of 12€
option: PrisonCall upgrade to PrivacyPhone

Short information PrivacyPhone

PrisonCall

PrisonCall is a vandal-proof emergency signalling system with additional Intercom functions according to DIN VDE 0834 with a stainless steel front panel equipped with malfunction sensors and tampering alarm and a triple LED signalling lamp destined for the external installation in the hallway.

The front panel embedded in the inside wall of the prison cell comprises two call buttons, one for emergencies and one for general contact during lock-in times. Further it includes a light switch and a special reassurance light. The signalling lamp in the hallway indicates the process stage of the prisoner's call.

In the event of a power outage a battery backup ensures the further functioning of malfunction sensors and tampering alarm so as to detect and report any manipulation attempt of the system even during this time.

Technical components (standard version):

robust stainless steel front panel
2 call buttons (emergency button, 2nd button for general contact during lock-in times)
Optional: 3rd call button for free choosable type of use
light switch
speaker
microphone
reassurance light
USB connection (for the further activation of a prison cell telephone feature)
signalling lamp (for the external installation)
Optional: light signal in 3rd colour free allocatable to any type of call
Optional: professional hotline for prisoners' emotional support

Examples of application:

PrisonCall is being successfully deployed in prisons of numerous EU countries.

Functionality:

With actuating the call button inside the prison cell the externally installed signalling unit flashes up red. Correctional officers on duty get also notified about the call by a notification sent to their PC, cell phone etc. Regarding prisoners with a very high security classification PrisonCall can even be used for the acoustic prison cell monitoring.

Extension options:

PrisonCall offers numerous expansion capabilities that facilitate the correctional officers' workday:

Intercom system
PrisonCall can be used as two-way intercom system, so allowing the communication between correctional officers and prisoners in their prison cells. PrisonCall, hence, also serves as a comfortable tool for making general announcements to the prisoners.

3rd call button
PrisonCall offers the option of integrating a third call button that can become freely designated to any appropriate use by prison administrations. So they could use it for instance for letting prisoners give notice of whether they wish to spend the daily allowed time outside of their prison cells or not.
3rd light signal
As external signal for this further call button an additional colour light could be added to the signalling unit. By actuating the call button, this signal would light up in a third colour hereby signalizing, staying with the example given before, "Please unlock!" The correctional officers on duty thus are enabled to walk along the hallway and open up just those cells that display accordingly.
Prison cell telephone (PrivacyPhone)
Another feature PrisonCall could be extended with is PrivacyPhone, i.e., a prison cell telephone system. It enables prisoners to make phone calls in the privacy of their prison cells, simultaneously offering complete call control to the officers on duty. For activating this service, the PrisonCall front panel simply has to become extended with a USB port.

As soon as the prisoner connects a USB telephone handset that he had to purchase in advance for a small nominal fee of 12€, he is allowed to make phone calls within the strict limits of his individual authorizations.

All call data are logged at any time. On top of this, all phone calls can easily be listened in and recorded by default or spontaneously where investigators or officers on duty consider it as mandatory. A special security mechanism ensures that the USB port can't be used for any other type of electronic device.
24/7 free of charge hotline for prisoners' emotional support
PrisonCall also gives the option of round-the-clock access to a professional telephone hotline that takes care of prisoners in emotional crises. A simple measure prisoners can resort to within the privacy of their prison cell and that may even save lives of not few of them.

This service can very easily be established in prison cells that are already equipped with PrivacyPhone. A call connection to the hotline will automatically be set up as soon as the prisoner connects his handset to the front panels' USB port and, for example, actuates the third call button which, in this case, is designated to this specific use by the prison administration.

If the prison cell isn't as yet equipped with a prison cell telephone system, the call connection will automatically be established as soon as the prisoner connects a USB headset (without telephone keypad) that was handed out to him for free or against a small nominal fee by prison administration. The front panels' USB port, in this case, won't and can't be used for any other purpose.

Short information PrisonCom

VideoVisit

VideoVisit is a pioneering, terminal based model for prisoner visitations via video conferencing. The new technology system helps to extensively simplify and straighten out the daily organisation of prisoner visitations that represent an extremely time-consuming and labour intensive sector of prison's everyday work.

And not just the prison staff, but prisoners and their families also benefit from the new visitation method being offered by VideoVisit: Both sides get the chance to see each other more frequently and longer than before. Visitors again save themselves long waiting lines and invasive security checks. And on top of all that, VideoVisit ensures them greater privacy for their visits than could have been granted so far.

For the corrections officers the switch-over to VideoVisit primarily means a huge workload relief: visitor registration and security checks, moving around visitors and prisoners and finally visitation supervision fall away - as well as the high risk of visitors smuggling contraband (drugs, weapons, cell phones etc.) into prison which is currently one of the major problems prison staff has to deal with. VideoVisit makes a clear and sustainable contribution to enhancing the public safety and order in prisons.

There is also available a VideoVisit expansion module for PrisonPhone. It incorporates a large-format colour display and the VideoVisit technology upgrade - and there it is ready for use.

Technical components:

touchscreen panels
stainless steel housing
webcam
mikrophone
loudspeaker

Growing Trend in the US Corrections Field: Video Visitations

: Emmanuel, Adeshina: 'In-Person Visits Fade as Jails Set Up Video Units for Inmates and Families', in: The New York Times, August 7, 2012.

The US has the highest, formally documented incarceration rate of the world with more than 2.3 million people, women, men and youths, currently serving their sentences in prisons or jails. This corrensponds to a 500% increase over the past 30 years.

These trends have resulted in prison overcrowding and numerous associated organisational problems. And broad efforts are now underway to solve these by using new technologies that ease and automate the day-to-day work processes in the facilities.

A much reduced workload for the prison staff accompanies the switch-over from in-person visits to video visitations. Too convincing are the advantages arising for everyone involved.

Jeremy Travis, past director of the National Institute of Justice, the Justice Department's research arm, predicts video visitations an "enormous potential". He puts special emphasis on the positive effects that more frequent visits have, for instance, on children who have a parent in prison. They get the opportunity to enhance their relationship which is of enormous importance for the developmental processes of both sides and also for parent's later reintegration back into society. Travis and other experts are, therefore, forecasting that, in the long term, video visitations will become widespread throughout the US.

PrisonCom Switch

PrisonCom Switch makes upgrading from old analog tele- phone devices to PrisonCom IP telephony fast and simple:

Thanks to PrisonCom Switch, the required power supply and IP data traffic for the PrisonPhone IP telephones can be easily handled via the two-wire analog line network that already exists in the facility. So upgrading to our leading technology does not even need new cables to be routed during installation.