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| Inmate Telephone Monitoring: The Underutilized Intelligence Tool |
| By William Grady |
| Published: 08/20/2001 |
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The establishment and commitment to cohesive institutional intelligence units 'anchored' by the monitoring and recording of inmate telephone calls is of vital importance to public safety through enhanced internal security of facilities and the provision of assistance to outside law enforcement agencies in major criminal investigations. Before any success can be measured from inmate telephone monitoring programs, a Department of Correction must fully commit the resources necessary to establish and maintain intelligence units, not only at the facility level, but also at the central office. The central office team needs to coordinate the entire field operation that pertains to intelligence gathering. The institutional location of intelligence units, in conjunction with adequate staffing, will ensure the overall success of this program. As correctional populations and budgets 'soar' throughout the country, programs such as facility intelligence units may become areas where staff cutbacks occur. The continued success of gathering intelligence from correctional facilities can only be achieved by maintaining the continuity of trained correctional professionals. Any disruption in the work of the intelligence units can only harm, rather than help, to ensure the safety and security of the facility. Establishing Institutional Intelligence Units One of the major problems in Corrections nationally is that institutions continue to be somewhat 'islands unto themselves' partially due to the geographical size of states. When establishing department intelligence units, every effort should be made to standardize each unit in every facility. There is a natural tendency to view the intelligence function at lower custody facilities as less important than higher security institutions; this is a misconception. Experience has taught us that there is as much intelligence gathered at lower security institutions as in higher security facilities, especially that which is important to outside law enforcement agencies. Departments which have committed to staff and fund these intelligence units rely upon a centralized management team at the central office. The intelligence function typically takes on a great significance within the organization's mission and normally reports under a Director of Security Operations. Location of Institutional Intelligence Units When establishing the facility location of your facility intelligence group, it is necessary to look to the future as duties and responsibilities will surely expand over time. Look for a location that is suitable to handle telephone-monitoring equipment and a staff that is sufficient to handle all of the various aspects of institutional intelligence gathering. Although all facilities present a unique set of challenges, every effort should be made to provide the necessary secure space as this unit will become one of the administration's most important 'tools' in managing the facility. Staffing The staff assigned to the intelligence unit should be comprised of an experienced custody supervisor familiar with the facility and the inmate population, trained telephone monitors, security risk group specialists, and other staff deemed necessary by the administration. All intelligence officers should be trained in the practical application of the laws governing telephone monitoring programs, the preservation of evidence, as well as the intricacies of intelligence gathering. A mix of correctional professionals who exhibit the desire to work in this specialized area should be screened, selected, and assigned to these units. Facility administrators may find that the staff selected to work in the intelligence groups are highly promotable which establishes a level of turnover of personnel in these units. This attrition of skilled intelligence professionals also creates an overall advantage to the greater good of the entire department. Responsibilities The primary responsibility of the intelligence group is to gather information from a variety of sources to assist the administration and the department in its efforts to ensure safe and secure facilities. The secondary area of responsibility is to assist outside law enforcement agencies in major criminal investigations. Assisting outside law enforcement agencies will become a vital portion of the unit's work and benefit not only the agency but also the general public and create a spirit of cooperation between all law enforcement agencies. Gathering Intelligence Gathering intelligence from correctional institutions come from a variety of sources, including inmate telephone calls, mail review, and from inmate informants. Although there are numerous other intelligence gathering tools to assist the unit, these are the primary areas where the unit's efforts should be directed. The gathering of institutional intelligence depends on the quality of personnel involved in the units; their enthusiasm, dedication, training, and professionalism. Corrections is a people business and the more information on the people (inmate population) that is known to the administration, the more successful the facility will be in controlling assaults, escapes, violence, and all of the other areas that create problems to administrators. Identification of that portion of the inmate population that needs to be 'monitored' is really the key point to the overall success of the program. To identify the high-security inmates, the inmates most likely to escape, extort, control narcotics, riot, assault fellow inmates and staff, recruit gang members, and control the influence over the general population depends on one thing, STAFF. The more information gathered by staff on problematic inmates, the more valuable the information becomes. Although treatment programs are a necessary and vital part of 'balance,' the business of corrections has always been built upon a foundation of sound 'custodial' practices and policies. Institutions cannot implement treatment programs unless the 'facility environment' is safe, secure, and calm. By identifying that small segment of the inmate population that is most likely to cause problems, and monitoring those 'targeted' inmates, the intelligence group will be able to gain valuable information and ensure a safer institution. Conclusion The establishment of facility intelligence units pay back a huge investment to the facility, the department, and the greater good of the citizens for the dollars dedicated to these units. For those departments already committed to this program, re-examine the outcomes to ensure that it is operating at the level of professionalism that you had intended it to be. If it isn't, or if it has been diluted over time, fix it. For those departments who have put in a minimal effort into the establishment of these units, or have done nothing at all, it's time to institute these programs and dedicate the dollars to do so. William G. Grady is the chief Intelligence Officer for the Connecticut Department of Correction. He has 20 years of experience in Corrections and has spent 15 years in a maximum-security environment, developing and implementing methods of gathering intelligence for internal and external investigations. For the past 5 years, Grady has been assigned to the Department's Central Office Security Division, where he continues to gather intelligence from the state's correctional institutions using the inmate telephone monitoring system as the anchor for internal and external investigations. Grady can be reached at William.Grady@po.state.ct.us or by telephone 860-692-7533. |
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