£3 Million Investment Gives Overseas Prison Officers Body-Cams -- Security Today

£3 Million Investment Gives Overseas Prison Officers Body-Cams

Officers welcome Ministry of Justice's new measures for England and Wales, including trial of incapacitant spray.

By Sydny Shepard
Oct 27, 2017

The Ministry of Justice has announced prison officers across England and Wales will have access to body-worn cameras as part of a £3 million investment to improve safety in jails.

The announcement detailed that £2 million of the investment will go to purchasing 5,600 cameras meaning every prison officer in England and Wales will have a device. The other £1 million will be invested in "police-style" handcuffs and restraints to reduce the need for staff to use physical holds to control aggressive prisoners.

Four prisons in the area will also trial the use of incapacitant spray, similar to pepper spray, for dealing with violent offenders.

Prison Minister Sam Gyimah told reporters that the increased security measures would ensure officers have the right tools for the job and allow them to tackle "head-on issues that undermine the safety and security of our prisons."

In addition to the body-cameras and police-style equipment, the prisons have brought in 300 sniffer dogs trained in detecting psychoactive substances and putting in place technology to block mobile phones from working.

"This latest investment underlines our commitment to transform our prisons into places of safety and should send a clear message to those intent on thwarting our efforts to make progress," Gyimah said. "We will do everything in our power to stop them."

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now
- Cybersecurity
ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard
- Guard Services
Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now
- Cybersecurity
Report: Nearly 1 in 5 Healthcare Leaders Say Cyberattacks Have Impacted Patient Care

Omega Systems, a provider of managed IT and security services, today released new research that reveals the growing impact of cybersecurity challenges on leading healthcare organizations and patient safety. According to the 2025 Healthcare IT Landscape Report, 19% of healthcare leaders say a cyberattack has already disrupted patient care, and more than half (52%) believe a fatal cyber-related incident is inevitable within the next five years. Read Now
- Cybersecurity
AI Is Now the Leading Cybersecurity Concern for Security, IT Leaders

Arctic Wolf recently published findings from its State of Cybersecurity: 2025 Trends Report, offering insights from a global survey of more than 1,200 senior IT and cybersecurity decision-makers across 15 countries. Conducted by Sapio Research, the report captures the realities, risks, and readiness strategies shaping the modern security landscape. Read Now
- Cybersecurity

Security Today eNews

Sign up today for essential industry news and product information that can help you stay afloat in the fast-paced world of security.

Email Address*Country*

Please type the letters/numbers you see above.

Webinars

Whitepapers

New Products

HD2055 Modular Barricade

Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.
4K Video Decoder

3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.
Camden CM-221 Series Switches

Camden Door Controls is pleased to announce that, in response to soaring customer demand, it has expanded its range of ValueWave™ no-touch switches to include a narrow (slimline) version with manual override. This override button is designed to provide additional assurance that the request to exit switch will open a door, even if the no-touch sensor fails to operate. This new slimline switch also features a heavy gauge stainless steel faceplate, a red/green illuminated light ring, and is IP65 rated, making it ideal for indoor or outdoor use as part of an automatic door or access control system. ValueWave™ no-touch switches are designed for easy installation and trouble-free service in high traffic applications. In addition to this narrow version, the CM-221 & CM-222 Series switches are available in a range of other models with single and double gang heavy-gauge stainless steel faceplates and include illuminated light rings.