Terrorism and 21st Century Corrections

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By William Sturgeon

Published: 09/26/2005

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the nation's correctional agencies/institutions have been working to expand their emergency plans to deal with new terrorist threats.

The twenty-first century has presented demanding challenges for correctional agencies/institutions. Some of these new challenges include expanding emergency plans to address the issues associated with terrorism. Correctional institutions must be prepared to repel a terrorist attack if one should be launched against them.

There is also the challenge of managing terrorist/inmates. I believe that this terrorist/inmate population will prove to be the most difficult inmate population that corrections has ever been faced with managing. Many foreign terrorist/inmates have demonstrated that they have a willingness to die for their cause, are well disciplined and have been trained in military type tactics.

Another new challenge that correctional institutions will have to adapt to is that of becoming a resource for the civilian communities in proximity to the institutions. Most correctional facilities have the ability to be self-sufficient for extended periods of time. Because of this, correctional institutions can render aid to surrounding communities such as potable water (many correctional institutions have their own wells), hot food to civilians, rescue workers, and public safety personnel, communication capabilities, vehicles for transporting citizens and/or injured people or fuel, and, facilities could be used for decontamination of personnel and equipment (firearms, ammunition, medical supplies). Correctional institutions also have valuable human resources that could be dispatched to assist in the event of a terrorist attack or any other catastrophic events. Each agency/institution at the early stages of a crisis can immediately dispatch personnel, which range from well trained security officers to medical staff, to assist local agencies.

In some rural communities, correctional institutions have more resources immediately available than the community does. Correctional personnel could rapidly assist the surrounding community's first responders in the event of a terrorist attack or other catastrophic emergency. As an example, within a very short period of time, a correctional institution could send personnel to augment local law enforcement and emergency medical personnel until other outside assistance arrives. Yet, many emergency planners exclude correctional agencies/institutions from playing an active role in their local emergency plans.

Adapting correctional agencies/institutions to meet these new challenges will take a great deal of vision, determination, and the ability to “think outside of the box” on the part of correctional administrators, politicians, correctional staff, law enforcement, emergency planners and others.

Some in various governmental agencies cannot see a reason why correctional institutions would ever become a target for a terrorist attack. This, in my opinion, is being short sighted. First, correctional institutions represent the government, and these institutions can be construed as symbolic targets. Second, the American public views correctional institutions as secure places under the control of one or other governmental agencies; for one or more of them to be successfully attacked would work on the psyche of the general public, shaking its faith in government to do its job.

The terrorists have proven that they have the ability to “think outside of the box” with an entrepreneurial spirit. With relative ease they negated the nation's airlines security procedures for screening passengers and insuring passenger safety, which lead to the horrible 9/11. This same “out of the box thinking” and entrepreneurial spirit that the 9/11 terrorists demonstrated could easily be used by terrorists to attack correctional institutions, or by terrorist/inmates to negate internal correctional security procedures, wherever they may be incarcerated.

It is my belief that for corrections to be ready to meet the possibility of a terrorist attack, it needs to “expand” its emergency plans using these areas as focus points:

Prevention
Response
Engage/Control
Recovery.

[Below is a brief overview of each:]

Prevention - The correctional agency / institution must work to present a “hard” target to terrorists who may be conducting surveillance of the agency/institution. Terrorists have demonstrated that they will back away from a target where they feel the costs will not be worth the gain. Examples of some of the areas that should be reviewed and hardened are: visiting areas, vehicles having access to the facility's secure perimeter, mailroom procedures, and parking areas. Also, there must be strict adherence to all security policies and procedures. Institutions should change common routines that are observable by the civilian world. Example: Occasionally, operate two outside patrols for a period of time, change visitors' parking areas without notice, have outside patrols be visible during visiting hours. Lastly, train staff in counterterrorism techniques. This can be accomplished by becoming part of the local area's Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Response - Responding to terrorist events will entail training staff on the “expanded” emergency plans. If an agency/institution can't prevent a terrorist event, it has to be able to immediately respond to a terrorist event. As agencies/institutions work on developing the “Response” element of their “expanded” emergency plans, they should keep in mind the following: terrorists will initially have the element of surprise, terrorists will be using lethal weapons, terrorist attacks will be “hard hitting, swift, and lethal.” In addition, there is the strong possibility that there will be multiple events taking place simultaneously. The on-duty manager/supervisor will have to determine quickly whether or not an incident is a terrorist attack. There will not be time to call the On-Duty Administrator.

Engage/Control - As correctional agencies/institutions develop the Engage/Control element of the model, they must determine where they will engage attacking terrorists and what methods, tactics, techniques, and strategies they will employ to control the course of events.

Recovery - Recovering from a terrorist attack on a correctional institution will be dependent on a variety of factors. These include the number of staff and inmates killed or injured, damage to institution, contamination concerns, and outside utilities (water, waste water, heat, light, cooling). Additional issues in this element of the model that should be considered include: relieving or replacing staff who were involved is the attack, preserving the crime scene, writing reports; ensuring that the institution is being re-supplied; recharging/replacing batteries; transferring of inmates should the institution be unsafe or lack sufficient security capabilities and quarantining the institution should that be necessary. Lastly, the agency/institution should take into account, as part of its recovery element, the possibility that an institution could be “off-line” for several months.

Terrorist-Inmates

Terrorist-inmates could present some of the most difficult challenges ever encountered in corrections. The most significant difference, I believe, between the a terrorist-inmate population and every other inmate population that correctional personnel have been required to supervise is that this terrorist-inmate population is willing, almost has a desire, to die for their cause.

A significant number of these terrorist-inmates have received extensive military training to include training on explosives. In a terrorist training manual found during a raid in England, there is a section (Eighteen) titled “Prisons and Detention Centers” that outlines how terrorists should act if and while they are incarcerated, “Inside the prison, the brother should not accept any work that may belittle or demean him or his brothers, such as cleaning the prison hallways or bathrooms..

Also, it has been well documented that terrorist-inmates have been using prisons as places to recruit new members. Richard Reid, (a.k.a., the “shoe-bomber”), was recruited/converted while serving in a British prison. Currently, the F.B.I., in cooperation with other law enforcement and security agencies, is conducting investigations into terrorist recruiting activities in various prison systems.

This particular population (terrorist-inmate) has deep-seeded religious and political beliefs that condone the use of extreme violence to include sacrificing their own lives to accomplish their missions, and, currently, there isn't any specialized programming to change these beliefs.

With other difficult inmate populations, correctional professionals have been able to develop programs to address the causes of the criminal behavior. This terrorist-inmate population, however, presents a multitude of issues that must be addressed prior to developing any programming. Some of the most demanding issues, in my opinion, are centered on their “right” to practice their religion and beliefs as they wish. It goes without saying that no correctional institution will permit the terrorist-inmates to practice “overt” violence.

There will, I am sure, be constitutional issues about freedom to assemble (for religious services), and freedom of speech, to include documents. As correctional professionals attempt to develop specialized programming, they will have to work very closely with the agency's legal department to determine what a legally defensible program is and what could be construed as a “civil rights” violation.

Summary

Terrorism and the management of a terrorist-inmate population will require that correctional professionals look to outside resources for help. As agencies/institutions work to “expand” their emergency plans, they will need to develop working relationships with local law enforcement, state police, National Guard, local fire service, local Joint Terrorism Task Force, public health, Local Emergency Management Committee and hospitals.

When it comes to developing programming for the terrorist-inmates, it is going to be crucial for correctional professionals to look for assistance from civilian groups, such as various religious and community groups, and academic institutions.

Internally, the agency's legal department will have to play an integral role, whether it is developing policies and procedures for “rules of engagement” should the agency/institution be attacked, and/or determining what could be a violation of terrorists-inmates constitutional rights when it comes to a programming.

The men and women who work in the field of corrections have always risen to every challenge that society has presented to them over the years whether it is HIV/AIDS, overcrowding, organized prison gangs, or budget cuts. So, too, will they develop management and implement techniques and tactics to deal with terrorism and the terrorist-inmates.

About the author: William “Bill” Sturgeon is the Director of The Center for Rural Preparedness and Emergency Services, a project of Southern Vermont College.

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