ITS Products has released their latest version of an anti-ligature non-grip corner custodial camera. It has been developed for prisons, secure mental hospitals, custody suites, immigration detention centres, juvenile facilities and other estates for challenging and vulnerable occupants.
In the wake of high-profile deaths in remand centres and increasing scrutiny of prison regimes as well as the vigilance of officers, the CMD4 has been designed to offer an extremely wide field of view minimizing room blind spots.
The camera can help staff demonstrate duty of care with problematic prisoners. High-resolution recordings ensure appropriate treatment of room occupants while also protecting authorities from spurious lawsuits.
The CMD4 delivers megapixel image resolution in full colour while the room is lit and during darkness the near invisible IR illuminators allow comprehensive monitoring of vulnerable inmates. It maintains a safe working environment that minimizes unnecessary physical proximity at a time when this is high-risk for everybody. There have always been strong arguments for installing cameras of this kind, but safety of frontline workers in the current climate is now a clincher.
The camera is ONVIF-compliant and works with all leading video surveillance recording and management systems. It balances zero ligature or grip potential for a cell occupant intent on self-harm with protection of the unit from attack. Vandal resistance is at a premium for violent inmates or in other demanding environments and the camera meets IK10 in terms of resisting external impact up to 20 joules.
Covert energy-efficient IR illuminators produce clear actionable video in low or minimal lighting conditions when this is required during sleeping hours. Discreet observation of cell occupants who may be in a distressed state can continue for their own protection in complete darkness if necessary.
Flexing into the corners of a cell or room, the CMD4 factors out gaps, something that is greatly appreciated in mature estates where a true 90-degree corner is a rarity. The camera and integrated corner housing are installed in minutes, and maintenance or inspection requires use of only six screws. In the unlikely event of a need for part replacement, spares are fitted easily.
ITS Products has decades of custodial security experience and appreciates that on-site engineering time and use of tools near prisoners or any correctional inmates must be minimized. The CMD4 scores highly in terms of uninterrupted performance and will be suitable for the toughest prison and secure mental health facilities worldwide.
Chris Newman, a director of ITS Products, said: “We’re constantly listening to feedback from our users in the international custody market. Our remit is broad and the camera has been devised for the wellbeing of everybody be they inmates, patients, guards, supervisors, health professionals or visitors.”
He continued: “Cases of allegedly excessive restraint (notably in youth detention centres) and several deaths have been the subject of review. Any detention facility presents unique demands on security equipment, and cameras designed for more general applications simply don’t achieve the required results. Our new release has optics and structure optimised for this environment.”
ITS Products’ design team behind the CMD4 has worked in high-security prisons ranging from Scotland to Sydney. As with all of the company’s offerings, the unit is created from raw materials in the UK from ITS Products’ own manufacturing base. It is available in the UK from ITS Products and through selected overseas distribution partners.