Prison officials test futuristic technology in mock 'riots'

May 26, 2000
Web posted at: 9:16 p.m. EDT (0116 GMT)

Prison guards drilling to test new riot-control technology

From Science Correspondent Rick Lockridge

MOUNDSVILLE, West Virginia (CNN) -- A riot grips a penitentiary in West Virginia. Unlike most, prison managers actually encourage this one. It's a drill, staged to test high-tech equipment designed to stop real uprisings, without lethal force.

The means to control jailhouse disturbances have changed over the years.

"When I started in corrections, it was a billy club and a blackjack," said West Virginia Corrections Commissioner Paul Kirby.

Prison guards now rely on tools that are more advanced and less violent. The catchphrase in prisons now is, "Less than lethal force."

VIDEO CNN's Rick Lockridge looks at some new technology in the corrections industry. Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K Corrections Officer of the Year Donald Morgan explains the tactical issue for Ohio's Special Response Teams. QuickTime Play Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K

"Less than lethal is good. Less than lethal is what it's all about," said one participant.

Corrections officers from all over the United States tested the latest in less-than-lethal technology during three days of simulated prison uprisings at the old state penitentiary in Moundsville, West Virginia.

"We try out all these new products and see what will work and what is really good in the field, and what will help the officers, and we try to get that on the market," said Diane Quinn, a corrections technology agent for Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization

The new tools are tested in a number of staged events. In one, "inmates" in a dining hall take hostages. The riot response team uses distraction devices, appropriately called "flash-bangs," to stun the inmates before storming the cafeteria.

An officer with the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Department in Georgia said he likes the new equipment. It contains no metal parts, which can turn into shrapnel.

Law enforcement officers portray prisoners and guards in a staged dining hall riot

"If you were in an area and I flash-banged you with an old model in that area, there is a good chance that you would be injured or even killed," Capt. Carl Sims said.

"It can still hurt really bad and knock you silly like it is supposed to, but it's not going to kill you."

The arsenal of the modern corrections officer includes some sophisticated offensive weapons, such as:

A riot shield that flashes into the eyes of inmates and disorients them.

Projectile weapons that used pressurized air instead of gunpowder. One shoots plastic "thumpers," which can break ribs or cause concussions but little more.

Pepper-ball guns have become popular. They shoot little balls that resemble paintballs, but are filled with an offensive chemical, or "O.C." "Not only do you dispense the OC but you get the kinetic impact and the psychological impact of being shot," said Jim Topham of Jaycor, a San Diego-based company that participated in the event.

Defensive gear also plays large in modern prison control. A well-equipped guard might wear $3,000 worth of equipment. One example is a necklace microphone that keeps an officer's hands free.

"It operates basically off the vibrations of the throat, with an ear piece. And it also works really good with a gas mask," said Donald Morgan, who was named national corrections officer of the year.

Prototype gloves made of spun Teflon have more puncture-resistance than leather. And new bullet-proof linings for ballistic vests are lighter and more flexible.

Non-lethal offensive weapons include pepper-ball guns that shoot chemical pellets

Corrections officers at the West Virginia gathering said good equipment gives them an intimidating physical presence. That, they say, is a powerful psychological weapon that can often stop uprisings before they start.

"If they see that you are prepared and ready to take control when necessary, your problems will eliminate themselves a lot of time," Sims said.

One drill involved an inmate fight that escalated into more violence during a football game. In another, a food fight led to a hostage crisis.

Participants said the realism gives them training they really need but rarely receive. Companies making products that impress the corrections officers sometimes receive federal and state assistance to bring the technologies to market.

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JUSTNET - National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center
Jaycor International

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