While most of us securing our homes and businesses do not face the same challenges that wardens and correctional officers constantly deal with, it would be reassuring to have CCTV equipment that met their requirements.
Understanding 24/7 Monitoring:
Prisons by their very nature have to operate 24/7. They do not close at quitting time or for holidays or vacations. Anytime inmates are present there will always be a need for quality video surveillance, and this includes the video monitors. Consider your home computer or television set and how you use them. Many computers go into screen saver or sleep mode after a period of inactivity.If all else fails, we shut them off manually when we don’t use them; the same goes for the TV. The primary reason is to save money on electric bills, but a secondary reason is to limit the wear on the equipment. It’s as if these devices were being given rest breaks. There is no rest for CCTV video equipment. An incident can happen anytime and when it does, it is crucial that video capture as many details as possible.
These devices may run for months on end without being powered down and have to be ready all the time. It makes reliability and durability of utmost importance. These monitors must have an extremely long lifespan and warranty period.
Quality Video Is Key:
The need for quality video has never been greater than it has been in a house of correction. Inmates often make improvised weapons in preparation for an attack on another inmate or correctional staff. Sometimes it’s not the inmates, but the visitors that have to be watched as this is a common way to smuggle contraband into the facility.
High quality video makes it possible to capture these activities accurately. Not only does the monitor need to deliver crisp images, but the camera must be capable of capturing it. Together, these devices make it possible to observe illegal activity that was previously harder to detect.
Another issue that prisons have to deal with is the budget. Typically these facilities are run by some government agency funded by tax dollars. The cost of any equipment must be justified and waste is not acceptable. Many agencies have ‘green’ mandates requiring them to consume less energy. Since LCD CCTV monitors in prisons must run around the clock, they must be energy efficient.
It is difficult to find any data on the extent to which correctional facilities use professional grade LCD monitors for CCTV surveillance, but these monitors would be great for such a demanding environment. You can leave them on 24/7/365 and they continue to perform well.
The resolution of these monitors exceeds the resolution of typical consumer grade equipment like home computer monitors and television screens. When used with digital megapixel cameras, they deliver top-quality video.
Choosing the Right Monitor:
As you evaluate your CCTV monitor needs, comparing screen resolution, performance and durability one overriding question you may want to answer is ‘How well would this perform in a prison?’ Hopefully you will never have to deal with the same challenges as those in the Big House, but it is nice to have surveillance equipment that could.
Erik JohnsonAbout the Guest Author:
Erik Johnson is a security expert that specializes in CCTV and Surveillance applications. He writes to educate consumers in the best way to secure their home and business. CCTV is a vital part of securing the things most valuable to people.
