Preventing the Great Escape

FOR THE GUARD WHO HAS IT ALL




According to Captain Carl Sims, an intense Air Force Special Ops man turned prison tactical unit commander, the best way to bring down a riot is through a combination of speed, surprise and violence of action. But the trick is never to let it develop in the first place.




"We measure success by how many times we don't have to use force," he says. Most of the 84 technologies on display at Mock Prison Riot were built on that principle—to preempt overwhelming force—but a few rose to the top. Here they are.




Frisker Pro (Paradigm Tactical Products). Wand metal detectors, like those used at airports, are no good in prisons—officers need both hands free. This device, which consists of little more than a 9-volt battery and a mini magnetometer, straps to the palm of your hand and vibrates when it's near metal, such as a safety pin concealed in a prisoner's mouth or a shank tucked into his sock.




Bone Conducting Tactical Headset (Sensory Devices). Rowdy cellblocks drown out radio communications. This headset circumvents the problem with vibrating pads on either cheekbone. In speaking mode, the pads record voice waves resonating through the skull.
In listening mode, they vibrate the cheekbones, sending audio signals to the middle ear.




Voice Response Translator (Integrated Wave Technology). English is a second language for many inmates. This device attaches to a megaphone and translates up to 1,000 phrases like "Return to your cell" and "Stop, or I will use force" into up to 50 languages.




SA200 Semi-Automatic Launcher (PepperBall Technologies). Unless a hostage's life is at risk, officers prefer to use "less than lethal" force. This 33-inch rifle employs compressed air to shoot pepper balls at 380 feet per second—enough to topple a target without breaking his skin. On contact, the balls release pepper powder, which causes retching and crying.




WRSX-Stream, "The Big Stick" (Hydro-Force). When prisoners get rowdy, it's important to quell the commotion before it becomes a riot. This 10-foot-high box can debilitate an entire yard of unruly inmates by turning fire hydrants into pepper-spray water cannons.—W.S.W.