Video security solutions for correctional facilities

A proven and reliable video surveillance system is essential for effective security in prisons, jails, juvenile detention centers, and courthouses. From dayrooms and cells to sallyports and perimeters, the video system must provide full coverage throughout a facility, the ability to easily search for events, and the highest levels of resilience.

Bosch Video Systems offers complete solutions – including cameras, video management, and recording and storage – deployed at correctional facilities throughout North America with more than 700 projects completed at the county, state, and federal levels within the last fifteen years. A combination of performance, reliability, resilience, and form factor make Bosch Video Systems the premier choice for consultants, integrators, and end users in the field of corrections.

Security challenges

Maintain the highest physical security levels

Intelligent solutions secure correctional facilities, site perimeters, gates, and more.

Manage incidents efficiently

Timely and accurate information enables fast responses to potential threats and illegal activity.

Maximize data security

Ensure the proper measures are in place for physical safety and cybersecurity.

Correctional facility surveillance solutions

Corrections officer monitoring video surveillance camera feeds

Real-time observation and monitoring

Video monitoring of correctional facility procedures

High quality images in bright or low light scenes, as well as areas with both dark and light areas simultaneously make it easier to monitor crucial procedures, such as gate openings and closings, inmate escorting, cell openings, and more. Surveillance of common areas, such as dayrooms, outdoor spaces and eating locations, provide safety and security for inmates and staff and help deter potential conflicts and illegal activities. Crisp, clear images allow for reliable real-time observation of these activities and a prompt response to issues, ensuring compliance with protocols and providing evidence of incidents that occur.

Correctional officers pointing at an alert of a bag left behind

Alerts to reduce risk to people and property

Smart security cameras

Our latest generation of AI-enabled video security cameras automate the display of security concerns to operators to ease workloads, increase safety, and enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of personnel monitoring correctional facilities. Additionally, IVA Pro Context, powered by GenAI, acts as an intelligent assistant to transform simple prompts into detailed, actionable monitoring instructions. It combines edge-based AI video analytics with the deep contextual understanding of cloud-based GenAI to help users understand what is happening and why it matters.

Collecting metadata along with video images and transforming that data into easily consumable visual information assists administrators in delivering actionable insights to support informed decisions to improve security and streamline operations for correctional facilities.

Correctional officer reviewing video surveillance footage

Incident investigation

Speed up investigations

Video surveillance plays a crucial role in investigating incidents, such as smuggling attempts and fights between individuals. Our AI-enabled cameras support locating relevant events quickly by recording metadata along with the video images. When searching for a specific event, corrections officers can use BVMS to scan the recorded metadata within seconds, improving efficiency. With the new multi-camera Forensic Search feature, BVMS allows searches across multiple camera feeds simultaneously, significantly reducing the time and effort needed for accurate results. The recorded video footage can help operators identify the individuals involved in an incident, determine the sequence of events, and gather evidence for disciplinary actions or legal proceedings.

Man breaching the perimeter of a correctional facility at night

Perimeter intrusion detection systems (PIDS)

Detect and deter perimeter breaches at correctional facilities

With perimeter intrusion detection solutions, video cameras with edge-based IVA Pro Perimeter go beyond standard cameras to act as sensors. They keep watch over an area and detect individuals at fence lines or virtual fence lines further away from a perimeter – even when they roll or crawl – while ignoring false triggers.

Using thermal and moving cameras provides long-distance detection for early intervention and the ability to automatically track individuals, even in adverse lighting or environmental conditions. Map-based tracking within BVMS makes it easier to follow individuals using nearby cameras without the operator needing to memorize lengthy device names.

Focus on cyber and data security

Data and cyber security for a reliable and compliant video system

Our video surveillance solutions deliver the right levels of performance, durability, and security by design for absolute peace of mind. Because video data is often critical and sensitive, every component of the video security infrastructure, including cameras, storage devices, network communication, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), and video management software needs to be addressed. With that in mind, all our cameras have a built-in Secure Element with Trusted Platform Module functionality to store certificates and keys needed for authentication and encryption. As a result of our sustained efforts, we have achieved critical cybersecurity certifications, including UL 2900-2-3 and IEC 62443-4-1. Our end-to-end approach to data security ensures approval of our products for use at critical sites.

Efficient storage

Reduced costs

Large camera counts and the necessity for long recording retention times for correctional facilities can result in significant storage costs. We aim to deliver the highest quality images at the lowest possible bitrates with Intelligent Streaming. Through image noise-reduction algorithms and content-dependent bitrate regulation, our video solutions reduce storage requirements and system costs.

Our cameras feature a built-in iSCSI initiator that allows them to send video recordings direct to storage without passing through a server. Video Recording Manager (VRM) allocates the recordings to available storage; if a storage bay becomes unavailable, VRM sends the recordings to a different bay – performing failover recording without intervention. The result is reduced hardware requirements and costs with greater uptime and easier scalability. Reliable operation and flexibility for expansion ensures Bosch video security systems span the budget cycles of state and county governments.

Bosch Video Systems products for correctional facilities

Bosch video cameras for correctional facilities

Video security cameras

Robust cameras

Build quality matters. Our fixed, moving, and specialty cameras feature robust housings designed to handle harsh weather and high impacts (up to IK10+ and IP68 rated). Built to keep working, they exceed the typical equipment purchase cycle for correctional facilities. Customers repeatedly benefit from allocating available budget to upgrading technology for new functionality versus replacing malfunctioning equipment.

Trust is one of our fundamental principles and lays the foundation for all we do, ensuring customers can count on our products working as expected throughout their lifetime. Our standard warranty period on all our fixed optical cameras and the fixed parts of our moving cameras is five years.

Learn more

Resilient and scalable video management system

Ensure continuous live and playback of critical video

Compared to other video management systems, BVMS allows for maximum resilience. This means continuous live and playback of critical video even under adverse conditions or outages. While other systems require adding redundant components, often at a high cost, BVMS offers several levels of resilience out of the box. There is no single point of failure. As a result, cameras keep recording and streaming live video, and the system remains operational even when multiple system or network components fail simultaneously both in planned and unplanned scenarios.

An investment in BVMS allows for equipment purchased for a small site to remain as the system expands. Thanks to its scalability, BVMS grows with customers’ needs and can manage up to 200,000 cameras.

Maintenance free software licensing options mean no annual re-occurring software agreement costs.

Learn more

Drone flying over the fence of a correctional facility

Integration with partner solutions

Drone detection

The risk of unauthorized drones delivering contraband or conducting surveillance at correctional facilities is growing. Officers need a visual perspective to assess and determine whether a drone may be carrying cameras or smuggled goods. Our MIC IP fusion 9000i cameras integrate seamlessly with third-party radar technology. When radar is triggered, the software relays the three-dimensional coordinates to the closest ground-mounted MIC IP fusion 9000i camera, which confirms whether the object is a drone and tracks its course. The MIC IP fusion 9000i camera combines a thermal imager with an optical camera. It is constructed to perform in any environment and withstands high winds, heavy rain, snow, 100% humidity and extreme temperatures.