Correctional facilities look to curb criminal activity

For decades, prison life has been glorified in Hollywood movies and reality TV as a continuation of an inmate’s criminal career, depicting how crimes are committed within the friendly confines of state and federal penitentiaries.

Just because an inmate is locked up away from the outside world doesn’t mean he or she cannot have contraband smuggled in or carry out violent crimes within the prison population.

In many cases, prisons are just as violent and dangerous as being in the outside world, as family members, friends, and correctional officers aid a criminal element that continues to plague the criminal justice and corrections systems.

The rise in in-prison crime has prompted corrections officials to become proactive in trying to eradicate the crime wave affecting prisons.

Companies like GTL, a leader in corrections technology, are focused on helping correctional facilities improve their security plans and efforts by offering trained, qualified, and actionable intelligence analysis that helps identify criminal and security threats within prison walls.

GTL is tackling the prison crime issue with its Fusion program, an initiative that was created to directly address the current criminal threats plaguing the prison system.

"Our intelligence analysts work tirelessly to ensure that correctional facilities know exactly what is going on in their facility and increase the safety and security of all those within its walls," said Mitch Volkart, GTL Vice President, Intelligence Solutions in a press release. "As an example, an analyst recently completed a proactive investigation following an inmate who was continuously smuggling narcotics into a facility. Using multiple data sources and platforms, the analyst was able to identify the inmate's family members and other outside entities all involved in the drug smuggling ring. All parties involved were profiting from smuggling contraband into the facility, as well as trying to bankroll legitimate businesses from the drug proceeds.

Could these new security measures lead to the complete eradication of prison crime?

Well, that remains to be seen.