Covert infrared monitoring and recording of images and video in controlled-environment facilities
View Patent ↗An infrared image and/or a video of one or more residents of a controlled-environment facility is captured using an imaging device of a controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device disposed within the controlled-environment facility when the device is not being used in a communication session. The imaging device of the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device is capable of operation with an infrared light source. The infrared image or video may be stored and/or presented to an entity associated with the controlled-environment facility, such as personnel of the facility, a facility administration system, etc. Capturing the image may include turning on at least one infrared light source on the device and/or turning off any indication that the capturing is taking place. The device may be located in a resident sleeping area and a bed check may be performed by the entity or device, using the infrared image.
1. A controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device disposed within a controlled-environment facility, device comprising:
at least one processor; and
a memory coupled to the at least one processor, the memory configured to store program instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device to:
enable a resident communication involving one or more residents of the controlled-environment facility, wherein the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device is configured to provide a visual indication to the one or more residents that an image and/or video is being captured during the resident communication; and
capture an infrared light image and/or infrared light video of one or more residents of the controlled-environment facility while the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device is not being used in any resident communication and without providing the visual indication.
2. The controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one infrared light source, and wherein the program instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device to turn on the infrared light source to capture an infrared light image and/or infrared light video of one or more residents.
3. The controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device of claim 1 , wherein the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device is located in a resident sleeping area or unit of the controlled environment facility and the program instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device to:
perform a bed check by confirming the presence of a heat signature indicative of a resident in a bed in the sleeping area or unit.
4. The controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device of claim 3 , wherein there are a plurality of beds in the sleeping area or unit and the program instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device to alert an entity associated with the controlled-environment facility if there are fewer than an expected number of residents in the beds.
5. The controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device to:
present the infrared light image and/or infrared light video for review by an entity associated with the controlled-environment facility.
6. The controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device of claim 1 , wherein the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device is a video visitation device.
7. The controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device of claim 1 , wherein the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device is a personal resident communication and/or media device.
8. A method for covertly monitoring residents of a controlled-environment facility, the method comprising:
capturing an infrared image and/or infrared light video of one or more residents of a controlled-environment facility using an imaging device of a controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device disposed within the controlled-environment facility, wherein the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device is not being used in any communication session during at least a portion of the capturing; and
storing the infrared image and/or infrared light video and/or presenting the infrared image and/or infrared light video for review by an entity associated with the controlled-environment facility.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more residents are inmates, and wherein the controlled-environment facility is a correctional facility, and the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device is located in a pod or cell within the correctional facility.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device is located in a resident sleeping area or unit of the controlled environment facility, and the method further comprises performing a bed check by the entity associated with the controlled-environment facility using the presented infrared image.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device is located in a resident sleeping area or unit of the controlled environment facility having a plurality of resident beds, and the method further comprises:
performing a bed check by the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device confirming a presence or absence of a heat signature indicative of a resident in each bed in the sleeping area or unit; and
alerting an entity associated with the controlled-environment facility if there are fewer than an expected number of residents in the beds.
12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising turning on at least one infrared light source on the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device for capturing the infrared image and/or infrared light video using the imaging device.
13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device is a video visitation device.
14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device is a personal resident communications and/or media device.
15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the entity associated with the controlled-environment facility is one or more personnel of the facility or a facility administration system.
16. The method of claim 8 , wherein the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device includes a recording indicator, and during the capturing the recording indicator does not provide any indication that the capturing is taking place.
17. The method of claim 8 , wherein the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device includes an electronic display and wherein, during the capturing, the electronic display does not provide any visual indication that the capturing is taking place.
18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by a controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device disposed within a controlled-environment facility, cause the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device to:
enable real-time resident communications involving residents and non-residents of the controlled-environment facility; and
capture an image and/or video of one or more residents of the controlled-environment facility using infrared imaging, while the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device is not being used in a resident communication.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the program instructions stored thereon are further executable to cause the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device to store the image and/or video and/or present the image and/or video for review by an entity associated with the controlled-environment facility.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device is located in a resident sleeping area or unit of the controlled environment facility and wherein the program instructions stored thereon are further executable to cause the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device to:
perform a bed check by confirming presence of a number of expected heat signatures indicative of an expected number of residents in beds in the sleeping area or unit; and
alert an entity associated with the controlled-environment facility if the expected number of residents are not present.
21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the program instructions stored thereon are further executable to cause the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device to turn on at least one infrared light source on the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device for capturing the image and/or video using an imaging device of the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device.
22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the program instructions stored thereon are further executable to cause the controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device to disable any controlled-environment facility resident communication and/or media device recording indicator and not provide any indication that the capturing is taking place.