Corrections & Prison Riots
Application of less-lethal weapons for correctional services
Current Use Of Less Lethal Force In Prison Riots
Prison and Correctional Service agencies have access to exactly the same less-lethal weapons that are currently available to police and military organizations. A wide variety of these weapons are currently used by Correctional Officers. They include Tasers, 12 gauge shot gun rounds, 37/40 mm impact projectiles and payload rounds with pepper spray or tear gas.
The use of force in prisons and correctional facilities normally involves two major activities: stopping prison riots and rescuing and extracting hostages. Yet while they may use the same less-lethal weapons as police and military organizations, their tactical application varies.
Indoor and Safety Distance Requirements Of Less-Lethal Impact Projectiles
Prison riots are usually indoors and require Correctional Officers to use less-lethal weapons in standoff situations that require a shorter range. A study from the National Institute of Justice found that of all engagements, 88% occurred at less than 15 meters, and 70% at less than a 10 meter range. Of those engagements, a second shot was required in 60% of all incidents to achieve compliance. Although no comparable data exists for the correctional services environment, one can assume similar results to prisons. Market data also shows that rounds with the smallest minimum safety range are the most competitive among correctional and prison service purchasers.
Of all engagements, 88% occurred at less than 15 meters, and 70% at less than a 10 meter range… Data also shows that rounds with the smallest minimum safety range are the most competitive among correctional and prison service purchasers.
Correctional officers are often faced with prison extraction scenarios where prisoners use barricades in their cells to obstruct the lines of site of grenade launchers. This requires less-lethal ammunition mixes of CS tear gas, OC pepper spray and flash rounds for disorientation, coupled with eventual compliance enforcement using impact projectiles.
Blunt impact projectiles such as 37 or 40 mm foam ammunition and other less-than-lethal weapons have wider kinetic energy disbursement. Compared to the lethality of 12 gauge shot guns, these munitions are safer at shorter range and have greater accuracy in prison riot scenarios. The major drawback of the less-lethal 12 gauge blunt rounds is that they have a higher body penetration risk.