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Hong Kong jails test out smart technologies

Telecommunications

Jails will be equipped with smart cameras and biometric tracking devices

Spotted: Hong Kong jails are using smart technology to monitor prisoner behaviour and improve security. Twelve smart cameras are already in one prison facility as part of a pilot programme. The system can alert guards to unusual behaviour, such as a prisoner banging his head against a wall. Wearable trackers function sort of like commercial fitness trackers. They monitor prisoners’ heartbeats, but also alert guards if heartbeats grow irregular, keep tabs on inmates whereabouts and sound an alarm if they remove the device. A robotic arm, which searches through faeces looking for contraband such as drugs, will be piloted this year in select jails. Based on the pilot programme, other prisons will be upgraded with the technologies by 2021.

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