Emerging Technology: Using AI to Monitor and Detect Inmate Behavior
Aug 1, 2025
Correctional facilities across the United States are facing mounting safety challenges. From rising suicide rates and inmate-on-inmate violence to staff assaults and smuggled contraband, jails and prisons are pressured to maintain security with limited resources. Traditional monitoring methods like manual cell checks and video surveillance are no longer enough to maintain adequate safety measures. It’s time for correctional facilities to integrate new technology that will enhance safety measures and increase the capabilities of overburdened correctional staff.
Introducing AI-Powered Threat Detection
Artificial intelligence (AI) is all the buzz these days. This emerging technology can process large amounts of data, analyze it and format it within seconds. With this capability, it offers a groundbreaking opportunity to transform inmate safety, reduce liability and improve response times in high-risk environments.
Let’s take a look at how AI is improving safety in correctional facilities and where this technology may go.
The Problem: Threats Inside Correctional Walls
It’s no surprise that correctional staff manage unpredictable and often dangerous conditions on a daily basis. These common threats are not only a risk to incarcerated persons but also to the correctional officers, clinical personnel, foodservice workers, clergy, volunteers and others who maintain contact with inmates.
The most common threats include:
Inmate suicides and suicide attempts.
Fights and assaults, including inmate-on-inmate and inmate-on-officer.
Contraband smuggling such as weapons, drugs, alcohol, cell phones, and other electronic devices.
Inmate medical emergencies.
Inmate detoxification after an overdose.
Despite having security cameras and regular checks in place, early warning signs are often missed until it’s too late. Combine this with a shortage of correctional staff, overworked staff and outdated security systems, it’s easy to see how incidents can go undetected or are not responded to in a timely manner.
What Is AI Threat Detection?
AI threat detection systems use machine learning (ML) algorithms to analyze data from various sources (e.g., security cameras, motion sensors and biometric devices, etc.) in real time. These systems are trained to recognize unusual patterns and automatically alert staff to potential threats, such as:
Sudden movements or collapses - a sign of a fight or medical event.
Extended motionlessness - potential suicide or self-harm.
Elevated temperatures or pacing behavior - common in emotional distress or physical illness.
Unauthorized objects or behaviors - suggest smuggling of contraband, use of illegal substances or sexual behavior.
Unlike traditional surveillance, AI doesn't rely on someone watching a screen. It works continuously, objectively, and without human fatigue, making it an ideal solution for short-staffed facilities. AI becomes another “member” of the staff that can watch, analyze and alert/notify staff as soon as a predicted or unusual behavior is detected.
Use Cases in Corrections
With the pressure of staff shortages and the need to be in compliance with regular cell checks, there is an enormous opportunity to engage AI as a part of correctional oversight systems. Here are a few scenarios where AI could be beneficial:
1. Suicide Prevention
Cell monitoring systems like Cell-Guardian use sensor fusion (radar, thermal imaging, and computer vision) combined with AI algorithms to monitor inmate behavior and detect signs of self-harm before tragedy occurs. This early detection enables correctional officers to intervene within seconds or a few minutes instead of relying on manual cell checks.
2. Violence Detection
AI algorithms can detect postures or patterns that signal aggression, alerting staff before a fight between or among inmates escalates. AI can also detect unusual movements or possession of objects by an inmate that may indicate a possible threat to the safety of correctional staff.
3. Contraband Monitoring
Some systems use AI to identify behaviors consistent with contraband handling or passing, helping intercept illegal items more effectively. This allows staff to respond to and confiscate items that pose a security risk in a timely manner.
4. Staff Protection
AI-enhanced systems provide situational awareness that helps prevent ambushes and assaults on staff, giving officers real-time alerts of brewing tensions.
When an AI-powered system alerts or notifies staff of an unusual or safety-invoking situation, it gives them an opportunity to respond immediately with proper safety or medical gear. This provides a safer and more controlled environment at the facility, de-escalating the situation and preventing it from transpiring into a larger incident.
How the Technology Works
AI threat detection systems often integrate into existing technology and devices to provide a more robust result:
Video analysis: The system has been specifically trained to recognize and identify behaviors indicative of unwanted or critical events, enabling detection of activities such as self-harm, aggression or other high-risk situations through detailed behavioral pattern recognition.
Audio analysis: Detects raised voices, distress sounds or altercations.
Environmental sensors: Tracks cell temperature, humidity and movement.
Biometrics: Monitors vitals like heart rate or breathing, where applicable.
This data is processed and compared to thousands of hours of prior behavior to detect anomalies. If something seems off, the system flags it for human review or triggers an automatic alert that allows for an immediate response.
Does It Work? The Impact on Safety and Liability
Yes, AI works. It doesn’t replace the correctional staff, but adds another layer of security detection that alerts correctional staff to an impending or outbreaking incident. It’s an answer for facilities that are dealing with overworked staff, low recruitment numbers and high turnovers.
The benefits are significant:
Faster response times in medical or safety emergencies.
Fewer preventable deaths and injuries, especially from suicide.
Reduced liability and legal exposure from wrongful death lawsuits.
Increased efficiency for correctional staff who can focus on real threats.
Correctional facilities that adopt these tools enhance safety and often avoid costly litigation that follows preventable tragedies. A single suicide can result in millions of dollars in damages. Proactive technology like Cell-Guardian helps mitigate that risk.
Ethical Considerations
As with any surveillance technology, AI in jails and prisons raises important ethical questions:
Are inmates’ privacy rights respected?
What type of video or images are being shown and saved?
How are alerts handled to avoid bias or false positives?
Is there transparency in how the data is used?
Is the data being stored securely to avoid being used inappropriately?
Incarcerated persons have privacy concerns and rights. To address these matters, AI must be deployed with clear policies, human oversight and a focus on safety, not punishment. New technology and monitoring, such as those used by Cell-Guardian, address these issues by using a thermal image camera (blurred video surveillance that shows a living body in red as a heat source) or the use of illustrated figures to mirror what the inmate is doing.
The Future of Smart Corrections
AI-powered threat detection is only the beginning of what this new technology can do. In the future, secure and private audio analysis will be combined with video analysis to give a more complete picture of what is happening in a particular location. This powerful combination will enhance response time for greater security measures.
As AI rapidly develops, future applications may include:
Predictive analytics to identify inmates at higher risk of violence or self-harm.
Body movement or facial expression analysis that indicates an oncoming medical emergency like a stroke, heart attack or seizure.
AI-assisted mental health monitoring and triage.
Integration with wearable technologies for real-time health monitoring.
Detection of contraband.
Correctional facilities are evolving, and those that embrace data-driven safety strategies will be better positioned to protect staff, reduce harm and manage legal liability.
Final Thought
AI is improving safety in jails and prisons. Solutions like Cell-Guardian are leading the way in using smart, zero-touch, non-wearable technology to save lives and support overburdened staff.
If you're part of a correctional system, now is the time to explore how AI-powered technology can be integrated into your existing security system as a risk-reduction strategy.
Learn more at Cell-Guardian.com.