U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

New Technologies Protect Officers and Inmates

NCJ Number
249024
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 61 Issue: 5 Dated: August 1999 Pages: 134-136
Author(s)
Cason Lane
Date Published
August 1999
Length
3 pages
Annotation

This article reviews the features of various "less-than-lethal" (LTL) technologies that correctional and law enforcement officers can use to temporarily disable aggressive and resistant offenders, which minimizes the risk of death and injury to correctional/law enforcement officers as well as those who pose threats.

Abstract

One type of LTL is the "laser dazzler," a hand-held device that shines a green laser which flashes at rapid, random intervals, disorienting those targeted. It is effective in both darkness and daylight and can disorient subjects hundreds of yards away. Another LTL technology is the Ring Airfoil Projective (RAP). It is a doughnut-shaped rubber projectile that is delivered with accuracy and speed to sting a target up to 40 meters away. Under a grant from the National Institute of Justice, the developer of the RAP is developing a way to incorporate "pepper spray" into the RAP so as to ensure temporary incapacitation following the projectile's sting. A third LTL profiled in this article is called the "Sticky Shocker." It delivers a wireless projectile that adheres to a human target while delivering an electrical shock that temporarily disables the target. The Sticky Shocker extends the range of traditional electrical stun guns from arm's length to approximately 10 meters. Another technology mentioned in this article is not a LTL technology, but is useful in corrections for detecting contraband that contains metal material. "SCANMAIL" finds metal objects enclosed in various types of materials. A related technology, the Body Orifice Security Scanner (BOSS), has proven effective in detecting small weapons and/or metallic contraband concealed in body cavities.