BALTIMORE — Assaults inside Maryland correctional facilities fell 34% in July, the first month correctional officers statewide were equipped with body-worn cameras, officials said.
The early results follow the July 2 expansion of a program that began as a pilot, WBAL reported. Maryland signed a 10-year contract with Axon for the camera system.
Department officials expect the cameras to help deter violence while providing a clearer record of encounters between correctional officers and inmates.
“The presence of a camera during an incident in and of itself acts as a deterrent, minimizing or reducing a violent event before it occurs,” said David Greene, deputy secretary of operations for the Maryland Department of Corrections. “It gives our staff an opportunity to prove and show that they are in fact doing what they are supposed to be doing, and it helps to reduce false allegations.”
During a demonstration at Central Booking in East Baltimore on Aug. 17, officials showed video from the perspective of a correctional officer approaching a cell to conduct an inmate extraction. The recording provided a real-time view of the officer’s actions and the conditions surrounding the response.
Correctional Officer Shawn Elliott said inmate behavior can change as soon as a camera is present.
“It deters the cause of individuals from doing certain things without the cameras. So, once they see the camera, they tend to change their actions,” Elliott said.
The body-worn cameras are integrated with stationary surveillance cameras inside state facilities. Footage from both systems can be reviewed together to provide additional context during investigations, disciplinary proceedings and reviews of use-of-force incidents.
Department policies establish when officers must activate their cameras, when recording is discretionary and when it is prohibited.
Elliott, who handles institutional infractions for an adjustment hearing officer, said the recordings have also helped him document disciplinary cases.
“I do the infractions for the institution adjustment hearing officer, and the body cameras helped me tremendously with getting my cases,” Elliott said.
Other states report declines after camera deployments
Maryland officials pointed to results from correctional agencies in Virginia, Florida and Ohio as additional evidence of the cameras’ potential impact.
Virginia reported a 59% reduction in inmate injuries and a 45% decline in use-of-force incidents. Florida reported a 70% decrease in excessive-force complaints, while Ohio reported cutting the time spent on investigations by half.
Maryland’s 34% decline in assaults covers only the first month of the statewide program, but officials said it is an early indication that the cameras could help reduce confrontations inside facilities.
“We expect the implementation of these body cameras will reduce violent incidents inside our correctional facilities,” Greene said.
Do body-worn cameras actually deter assaults in correctional facilities, or are other factors more important?
Corrections1 readers respond:
- Perhaps these are less measurable action points but are in my opinion more important than relying on videos and million dollar contracts with Axon. Deescalation training; mirroring policy with how a deputy conducts his/her responsibilities; increasing mentorship; supervision responses to deputy reported facility issues
Body worn cameras are a good strategy to increase the safety of staff and the incarcerated. There is more work to do but this is a great step forward.
