Dane County Jail Goes High-Tech With New Cameras
Hundreds Of Cameras Focused On 900 Inmates
Updated: 8:52 am CDT September 27, 2008
MADISON, Wis. -- The Dane County jail is now state of the art -- at least when it comes to security.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportA new $550,000 camera upgrade has inmates covered like never before.Hundreds of cameras now are focused on more than 900 inmates, including those in cells equipped with toilet and sink.Officials admit some do have privacy concerns but counter safety has to be paramount. Already, it's a tough task.Jim Klint, jailed on a probation hold, has helped save the lives of two suicidal men in the last two weeks, including slaying suspect Adam Peterson.He found the 20-year-old hanging in a shower section of their special needs cell block Thursday at 5:30 a.m.Peterson survived and is now back on suicide watch in a high-risk segregation cell under surveillance by a camera 24 hours a day.Under the security upgrade approved in this year's county capital budget, both of Dane County's two jail facilities are now are filled with the new cameras.Deputy Joe Tarnowski was monitoring 15 segregation cells on Friday that are wired with their own cameras. He said they help him do his job better."Rather than me walking down taking the time to walk down and physically look through the window (at a disturbance) I can see on the camera what can be happening in a particular cell immediately and then I can walk down and deal with it."Tarnowski said it's more efficient for him.Lt. Mark Twombly runs the system which has four recording stations, 329 cameras, and access to virtually every area of the jail from the lobby to the kitchen work areas to the cellblocks and pods, WISC-TV reported.Cameras are even inside about 60 individual cells for various kinds of inmates, from the unruly, to the drunk to those threatening violence to themselves or others.Additional inmates who break minor rules and get sent to so called Time Out cells get a so-called privacy box that blocks out their toilet, but the rest of the wires cells do not and officials admit that's prompted some privacy concerns by inmates.However, Twombly said there are county policies to prevent staff from abusing the viewing in those cells and that the cameras there are only there to help keep those inmates safe."The inmates are pretty adept at learning what blind spots are there and the... if they were say trying to hurt themselves ...they could go to those blind spots intentionally because they know they'd be undetected," said Twombly.Klint doesn't think those cameras are appropriate. "I always covered up the camera and then the deputy got really mad," he said.Klint is not happy with those cell cameras, but he said he doesn't mind the others.Overall, officials said the extra eyes help them better monitor things real-time, as well as document who starts fights and resolve allegations of staff misconduct.The footage can also be used to help prosecutor's charges those inmates who start fights.
VIDEO: Watch The ReportA new $550,000 camera upgrade has inmates covered like never before.Hundreds of cameras now are focused on more than 900 inmates, including those in cells equipped with toilet and sink.Officials admit some do have privacy concerns but counter safety has to be paramount. Already, it's a tough task.Jim Klint, jailed on a probation hold, has helped save the lives of two suicidal men in the last two weeks, including slaying suspect Adam Peterson.He found the 20-year-old hanging in a shower section of their special needs cell block Thursday at 5:30 a.m.Peterson survived and is now back on suicide watch in a high-risk segregation cell under surveillance by a camera 24 hours a day.Under the security upgrade approved in this year's county capital budget, both of Dane County's two jail facilities are now are filled with the new cameras.Deputy Joe Tarnowski was monitoring 15 segregation cells on Friday that are wired with their own cameras. He said they help him do his job better."Rather than me walking down taking the time to walk down and physically look through the window (at a disturbance) I can see on the camera what can be happening in a particular cell immediately and then I can walk down and deal with it."Tarnowski said it's more efficient for him.Lt. Mark Twombly runs the system which has four recording stations, 329 cameras, and access to virtually every area of the jail from the lobby to the kitchen work areas to the cellblocks and pods, WISC-TV reported.Cameras are even inside about 60 individual cells for various kinds of inmates, from the unruly, to the drunk to those threatening violence to themselves or others.Additional inmates who break minor rules and get sent to so called Time Out cells get a so-called privacy box that blocks out their toilet, but the rest of the wires cells do not and officials admit that's prompted some privacy concerns by inmates.However, Twombly said there are county policies to prevent staff from abusing the viewing in those cells and that the cameras there are only there to help keep those inmates safe."The inmates are pretty adept at learning what blind spots are there and the... if they were say trying to hurt themselves ...they could go to those blind spots intentionally because they know they'd be undetected," said Twombly.Klint doesn't think those cameras are appropriate. "I always covered up the camera and then the deputy got really mad," he said.Klint is not happy with those cell cameras, but he said he doesn't mind the others.Overall, officials said the extra eyes help them better monitor things real-time, as well as document who starts fights and resolve allegations of staff misconduct.The footage can also be used to help prosecutor's charges those inmates who start fights.Copyright 2008 by Channel 3000. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
