Brazilian prisons have recorded almost one escape per day; radars and seismic detectors are part of the solution to prevent breakouts
The escape of two criminals from a prison in Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte, raised concerns about the vulnerability of Brazilian prisons. While this was the first escape from a maximum-security penitentiary in Brazil's history, the occurrence of convicts fleeing is not uncommon.
Just last year, Brazil witnessed nearly one criminal escape per day. A total of 333 inmates managed to break free from prison cells in 18 states. These escapes are primarily facilitated by the corruption of prison guards, who aid in the escapes, and the lack of efficient security equipment for property surveillance.
In a prison in the state of Goiás, for instance, 14 inmates escaped in October of last year with the assistance of a prison officer and a temporary security guard who left the cell door open. Subsequently, all criminals exited through a hole in the corridor's roof without being detected by any monitoring technology.
How do radars and seismic detectors enhance security in penitentiaries?
Ôguen, a distributor of innovative Israeli technologies, offers unique and high-performance solutions in Brazil capable of detecting, identifying, and classifying targets, providing early alerts for any incidents the property may face. When applied in prisons, this technology can thwart both escape and intrusion attempts, informing agents in real time about events in the monitored area.
For example, Magos radars have high detection capabilities, identifying targets up to 1000 meters away from the physical barrier of the location, such as walls or fences. To prevent false alarms, the system processes the alert in advance and classifies the target as a threat or not in less than two seconds, informing the operator about the event.
"One of the major issues with perimeter security solutions is false alarms that turn out to be nothing. This type of occurrence discredits the entire system, becoming a distraction tool rather than a protective one. Magos radars are equipped with intelligent technology that can classify a target as a person, animal, vehicle, vessel, or drone. Therefore, the security manager can configure the system to trigger alarms only for people and cars around or inside the property. This type of early detection and classification brings more efficiency and accuracy to the security team," explained Hen Harel, CEO of Ôguen.
Standalone buried seismic detectors can complement the security setup by protecting the property underground. These devices, buried 50 meters below the ground, silently and invisibly detect human footsteps, vehicles, and even excavations, making them excellent for prison scenarios where hole openings and tunnels are common.
“Seismic detectors can be buried in strategic points, such as near walls to identify hammering and excavations, and in dense vegetation areas where target detection can be more challenging. Because it is a discreet solution, the intruder has no idea they are being detected. And if there is any attempt to extract the mines, the solution also triggers an alert warning that a violation is in progress," said Hen Harel.
Both solutions require minimal maintenance and have a quick installation time, needing very little infrastructure for deployment. Additionally, these systems operate in any weather conditions; even in low visibility scenarios like fog and storms, the equipment continues to function with optimal performance, ensuring flawless security without false alarms.