Corrections facilities are facing the triple threat of overcrowding, reduced funding, and officer retention. These are clearly major obstacles to the high degree of organizational structure and supervision required to maintain safety for both corrections officers and inmates.
The entire Corrections facility, as well as the movements of everyone within it should ideally be viewable, trackable, and time-coded to ensure guidelines are being properly followed.
Beyond keeping the inmate population secure and controllable, video and tracking technology also has the ability to ensure officers follow proper safety procedures, make rounds on schedule, and helps them discover and handle inmate issues in a timely manner.
Axon Fusus can function as a force multiplier within correctional environments, enabling the corrections staff to preserve greater security and coverage with limited personnel, while keeping costs down.
Axon Fusus does this in several ways, which we will explore in this article:
Axon Fusus Keeps Installation & Equipment Costs Low
Most of the cost of video systems in a Correctional facility is in the installation. Cement penetrations, metal pipe (EMT conduit) for every camera wire, vandal resistant cameras, junction boxes, wireless repeaters, new server and switch installations, etc. all cost a significant amount of money to install. These costs are compounded by the work needed to coordinate installs around overcrowded inmate living areas.
In contrast, Axon Fusus offers Corrections environments a complete upgrade to their systems for a fraction of the cost of traditional systems, because we don't require them to replace existing cameras or head-end equipment (servers, switches, etc.). Instead, Corrections facilities can unify their existing systems in the cloud by installing our proprietary and inexpensive CORE devices at the camera head-end.
This means a single Operations Center can have real-time access to live and recorded video from multiple Corrections facilities, in one interface, accessed from a single computer (or multiple computers) located anywhere.
This is a huge benefit to most Corrections environments. In fact, Axon Fusus systems are so efficient with data transfer that most facilities can run 400+ cameras on a single cellular connection - a huge advantage for remote Correctional Facilities.
Axon Fusus Leverages Mobile & Cloud Technology
Utilizing cloud-based technology enables Axon Fusus to keep costs down significantly, while bringing the benefits of cutting-edge surveillance and security technology to Corrections environments. Eliminating expensive on-premise systems is not simply about saving money, it also enables facilities to upgrade to the latest technology, taking advantage of mobile and artificial intelligence technology that enables a smaller team to effectively manage a facility.
Putting these cost savings into perspective, the Department of Corrections for a large Southern State received an estimate from an incumbent technology provider for $30M to upgrade all of its 40 facilities to new cameras and recording hardware, and to make the systems accessible in one software system.
Axon Fusus was able to quote the same work at a fraction of the cost, while also including artificial intelligence in its surveillance system. Even if the Department of Corrections had decided to upgrade all of their cameras, the cost for managing those cameras with the Axon Fusus cloud platform is 66% less than dated on-premises video management software systems.
Axon Fusus Creates a Common Operating Picture
Axon Fusus creates a safer corrections environment by providing a common operating picture for all personnel. Beyond unified video surveillance from fixed cameras, Axon Fusus also enables the live tracking of the locations of officers throughout the facility.
This is done via interoperability with existing body-worn cameras, phones, tablets and other smart appliances for corrections officers. Additional mobile utilities include emergency alerts for events like riots and fights, chat, multi-media messaging and panic buttons.
Axon Fusus combines video surveillance with artificial intelligence layered-in to facilitate an effective overwatch, with guard locations and live intelligence from their positions. This enables a tightly controlled environment. Officers can be more efficiently assigned to locations in the facility as needed, and supervisors will be better equipped to manage emerging situations.
Axon Fusus also supports the integration of external system feeds like UAVs, automated license plate readers (ALPR), access control systems, gunfire detectors, and other sensor feeds into its platform. Axon Fusus renders all alerts, video, floorplans, and personnel locations onto a single, map based interface.
By increasing situational awareness and enabling the efficient distribution of resources, Axon Fusus helps reduce stress and burnout for Correctional Officers, leading to better outcomes overall.
Mutual Aid Support
When a major incident occurs at a correctional facility that requires emergency assistance from law enforcement, EMS or other first-responders, the Axon Fusus platform enables them to receive immediate access to live camera feeds, floor plans, and other data that will enhance their response. Corrections personnel are enabled to work more cohesively with first responders.
Video evidence from across the facility is stored in a secure vault and is easily uploaded to Law Enforcement agencies following an incident. The video itself is easily searchable and taggable, with AI available to assist in the parsing of large quantities of video evidence.
Find Out More
Given the difficult budgetary and staffing environment being faced by corrections facilities, Axon Fusus invites corrections leadership to demo the Axon Fusus platform to see how it can transform operations at their facilities.
Learn more about Axon Fusus here.