TYPICAL PENAL INSTITUTIONS ARE EQUIPPED WITH WIRED COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, ONE-WAY SIGNALING SYSTEMS, PORTABLE PANIC ALARM DEVICES, CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS, PERIMETER SURVEILLANCE AND ESCAPE OR INTRUSION DETECTION AND ALARM SYSTEMS, BUILDING PROTECTION SYSTEMS, TWO-WAY RADIOS FOR STAFF USE, AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS. ALTHOUGH IT IS A RELATIVELY SIMPLE MATTER TO SPECIFY FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF A GIVEN ELECTRONIC SYSTEM, IT IS DIFFICULT TO DESCRIBE CAPABILITIES THAT WILL ASSURE CONTINUED SATISFACTORY SERVICE WITHIN A HOSTILE PRISON ENVIRONMENT. THERE IS A CLEAR NEED TO ESTABLISH OBJECTIVE CRITERIA BY WHICH THE SUITABILITY OF A PARTICULAR SYSTEM FOR USE IN PRISONS CAN BE MEASURED. ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS MUST BE RELEVANT TO THE REAL LIFE PENAL INSTITUTION AND MUST FACILITATE THE SIMULATION OF HOSTILE ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING INMATE ATTACKS. RESEARCH IS NECESSARY TO DETERMINE PARAMETERS THAT REQUIRE CONTROL IN THE PRISON ENVIRONMENT, TO IDENTIFY THE EXTENT OF HOSTILITY AMONG INMATES, TO SPECIFY LEVELS OF EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEM PERFORMANCE THAT MUST BE ACHIEVED UNDER VARYING CONDITIONS OF HOSTILITY, AND TO DERIVE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. PARAMETERS TO INCORPORATE IN EQUIPMENT PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS CONCERN SHOCK, IMPACT, HARDNESS, BENDING, TENSILE AND COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH, VIBRATION, ENTRY OF FOREIGN MATERIAL, TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY, AND ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE. PHOTOGRAPHS OF DAMAGE CAUSED BY PRISON INMATES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)