Sunday, May 15, 2016

An Outlook Of How Prisoner Transport Systems Operate

By Carol Hall


Inmates are entitled to certain rights and freedom. One of them is the entitlement to comfortable and safe prisoner transport systems. This right is paramount because inmates are just like other human beings. Air transit is usually chosen by most operators of correctional facilities because it is safer compared to other means of transportation. In contrast, road transit is quite unsafe based on accidents and escape attempts that are reported these days.

Heavily guarded vehicles are utilized to ferry convicts to a specified location. The security detail inside these vehicles includes marshal and correctional officers. This type of security is necessary especially when road networks have been chosen for transit. Furthermore, more cases have been reported these days about accidents on buses that ferry convicts. Wardens of correctional facilities found in developed nations prefer airlines for ferrying inmates. In contrary, prison transits within third world nations take place via road networks due to financial constraints.

The transportation mode that has been chosen for inmates depends on the distance between the places they are being ferried to and their prisons. This factor also depends on the type of convict being ferried. For example, individuals charged with murder and drug cartels are usually ferried alongside heavy security. On average, there is a certain percentage of money that is usually allocated to ferrying inmates in every country.

Multiple incidents of careless driving of prison vehicles are noted these days. This observation has led to the installation of speed regulators on buses used to transit inmates. Consequently, airplanes meant for inmate transit are inspected and monitored by specialists before they take off. These measures are meant to reduce cases of road accidents and machine failures when convicts are being transported.

Inmate transport vehicles comprise of bulletproof and wire-meshed windows as well as segregated prisoner compartments. These vehicles also have an additional chamber where escorting officers seat. There is an opaque compartment that divides the driver area and the seats of inmates. The vehicles are additionally equipped with location tracking and radio communication devices.

According to laws enacted in countries all over the world, the vessels chosen for inmate transit should meet certain safety standards. For example, when a bus is procured by a correctional facility, it should undergo inspection and be licensed before commencing its work. A skilled medical practitioner is also expected to accompany both, prison police and inmates during transit.

The transportation routes chosen for ferrying inmates are usually inspected days before the activity commences. In cases where escapes or attacks on prison vehicles are eminent, these routes are changed immediately. Furthermore, trips may be canceled by heads of the correctional facility if a threat is imminent. It usually takes a maximum of nine hours to ferry convicts via road. On the other hand, it takes a maximum of twelve hours via airlines.

There are countries where water transport is the preferred transit mode for inmates. For example, island countries adopt this method due to the prevalence of water vessels. They adopt this mode when transiting to areas that are surrounded by water. All in all, the water vessels are also expected to meet safety standards and inspected frequently.




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