BCJ 3450 Unit V Assessment

Why is it important to keep prisoners out of public areas?

It is vitally important to keep prisoners out of public areas in courthouses for several reasons. Prisoners must be kept away from witnesses because they could attempt to persuade or influence their testimony. Even if the witness was being called by the prisoner’s defense attorney, their testimony must be preserved and free from the defendant’s input. Prisoners must not be able to communicate directly with anyone involved in their case whatsoever. This includes officers, witnesses, and victims. While attorneys may communicate freely with defendants, this must also not be in public areas because hearing this privileged & private information could also taint upcoming testimony in the case.

Prisoners must also be separated from the public so as not to receive weapons or other contraband. Drugs are a major issue inside County jails and state prisons. Not only are drugs highly valuable for the obvious reason of use, they pose a security risk because the holder could be attacked by others wanting to steal them. Cell phones, to include smartphones, are another item that could be passed to a criminal defendant and then smuggled back to the jail or prison. Keeping these items out of their hands is important because they could communicate with partners outside to come up with escape plans, intimidate witnesses, or even disrupt jail operations by calling in false alarms, bomb threats, or calls of fire inside the facility.

Violence is always a threat in a courthouse with emotions running on overdrive. Victims or victim family members may want to exact revenge on a suspect and suspects may attempt escape by use of violence in crowded public areas. They could also attack witnesses, prosecutors, or victims. These are just a few examples as to why prisoners must not be allowed in public areas of a courthouse or courtroom.

How might the bailiff help to minimize a breach of security within the courthouse?

Bailiffs must be constantly on guard and giving their undivided attention during courthouse work. While most bailiffs are assigned inside the courtroom during hearings and trials, they may also be assigned outside the courtroom to provide general grounds security or assigned a post at the doors or gates. At doorways, bailiffs must be vigilant of those trying to bring contraband inside the courthouse to give to prisoners or use on an unsuspecting victim. Bailiffs may be assigned to watch certain areas for intruders or terrorists. They can be assigned cybersecurity and told to watch for criminals stealing someone’s information at a computer terminal.

Inside the courtroom, the bailiff is the first (and often the last) line of defense against criminal attacks. They may be needed to detain those who get out of hand or dangerous. Someone found to be in contempt of court or remanded into custody will be taken by bailiffs or officers of the court at that time. Normally these bailiffs are armed and have peace officer powers of arrest. They generally require less than lethal options as well as a firearm and of course handcuffs & other restraints.

A bailiff may see something happening and need to call for assistance or backup. Therefore communication devices such has HT’s and/or phones are needed equipment as well. By being alert and vigilant, these men & women can stop violence & crimes before they happen or effect arrests after they do.

What is egress and ingress? Why should these be factored in when designing a courthouse?

By definition, egress the right & ability to exit the courthouse while ingress is the right & ability to enter the courthouse. Why these definitions are important is because restriction of access to some while protecting that very same access to another is required and must be understood.

Maintaining security at a courthouse is important for the safety of staff members, law enforcement officials, judges, defendants, and the general public. When working together, security protocols ensure the safety of all participants.

By limiting the ingress of general public toward prisoner areas and denying the prisoners egress to the outside is imperative. Courtroom design layouts that provide separate points of access and proper separation of trial participants. Technology use avoids problems as staff can monitor these areas for issues and unauthorized access. Furniture location and design is also utilized so as to promote safety and comfort at the same time.

Why should a courthouse be designed with prisoner transportation to and from court in mind? 

As part of the architectural design of the facility, the transportation of prisoners to & from the courthouse is very important. Simply pulling up to the back door is not an option as security threats could cause havoc while allowing the prisoner(s) an avenue of escape. Large oversized fences, alarmed gates, barbed wire, and remote-controlled entryways are required in most of these applications. Not only could accomplices spring detainees, they could also introduce violence, contraband, and/or disruption at prisoner transportation hubs if not designed properly.

Anytime a prisoner is in motion, he/she is a danger and must be constantly monitored. By dividing the attention of security staff between driving, moving, or other transportation skills, the detainee has an advantage he does not normally have when stationary. This is magnified when there are multiple detainees on a bus or in a van. The officers may become distracted and this can allow the prisoner to arm himself, hide, or escape. In fact, prisoners will often feign injury or illness so as to make guards take them someplace for treatment. They are often testing the transportation system and protocols for ways to escape. During escape attempts violence is highly likely and guards may be assaulted or worse. Great planning must be in effect when designing and ultimately utilizing these areas.