BODY CAMERAS: SHOULD THE IDOC REQUIRE THEIR USE BY ALL ON-DUTY STAFF?

The trend of law enforcement towards the use of body cameras across the country has grown as the technology becomes more cost efficient. Agencies have also found that the use of these video records not only instills a modicum of trust by the public, but helps to protect and preserve the truth. While the cameras cannot tell the entire story, the recordings are unquestionably valuable in coming to a conclusion as to what was said and done in view of the microphone and lens.

While in secure areas of the prison, neither staff or prisoner has a (legal) expectation of privacy. IDOC staff are ON DUTY at all times while on a post (work area) and therefore subject to being recorded (except in certain circumstances such as bathroom visits, etc.). Conversations and interactions with prisoners - and other staff - are clearly a matter of administrative and public interest (and record) but are currently lost to time and secrecy. Body cameras will preserve these interactions, good and bad, and due to improvements in battery and digital data compression, can record for entire work shifts at a time without recharging.

So what to do with the footage? In theory all the footage could be uploaded to the cloud or designated secure server so as to be available for investigators looking into past incidents. These recordings can be used by administrators (who rarely get their hands dirty) to improve working conditions for floor staff, dispute prisoner claims of abuse, footage for training purposes, etc. The cameras will also reveal which officers are doing most of the work while others sit at a computer watching video games or using their personal cell phone.

While body cameras are not the cure for the problems faced in the IDOC, they could go far in casting light on how to address them.