Correctional facilities face unique challenges when it comes to maintaining safety and security. With large inmate populations housed in confined spaces, tensions can escalate quickly. Fights, riots, and other violent incidents put both inmates and staff at risk of injury or worse. Facility damage resulting from unrest also carries a hefty price tag for taxpayers.

Fortunately, new smart window tint technologies provide an innovative solution to promote safety in jails, prisons, and detention centers. Intelligent photochromics like ElectraTint’s smart tint can be installed on windows to filter out visual distractions, discourage voyeurism, and reduce triggers that lead to confrontations.

Keep reading to learn how smart tints enhance safety for correctional facilities.

The Dangers of Transparent Windows in Correctional Facilities

Most correctional facilities were built with transparent windows. This design choice aimed to let in natural daylight and allow for outside views. However, transparent windows come with the following risks for safety:

• Distractions – Inmates can get distracted by activity outside, whether it’s people in the yard or traffic going by. These distractions take away focus and can lead to behavioral issues.
• Voyeurism – Transparent windows allow inmates to look outside and potentially watch staff, visitors, or other inmates pass by. This can lead to lewd comments or exposure.
• Triggers – Seeing activity outside can trigger bad behavior in inmates. For example, witnessing another inmate they have issues with, or seeing visitors leave when their own family hasn’t visited can lead to confrontations.
• Glare – Excessive glare from sunlight through untreated windows can cause headaches, eyestrain, and irritated moods.
• Forced Window Views – Lower-level cells often lack privacy with floor to ceiling transparent windows that essentially force inmates to see outside. This lack of control over their environment breeds resentment.

These risks suggest a clear need for window treatments in correctional facilities that enhance safety by minimizing distractions, blocking views, reducing triggers, and providing glare control.

How Smart Window Tints Can Enhance Safety

Smart window tints offer an innovative solution to safety challenges in correctional facilities. These intelligent window films can be installed on existing glass and linked to automated controls. With the ability to tint on demand, smart films allow staff to actively manage the safety and privacy of their windows.

Benefits of smart tints for enhanced safety include:

• With the ability to tint windows on demand, staff can darken windows at times when inmates need less distraction from outdoor views. Controlling visibility keeps focus within the facility.
• Privacy concerns are mitigated by the ability to tint windows in inmate cells, sleeping areas, restrooms, and showers. Guards can darken windows to respect inmate privacy and reduce lewd behavior.
• Smart tints empower guards to control what inmates see through windows. Windows can be tinted to block views that often instigate confrontations before trouble starts.
• Smart tints can tint to any level on demand, reducing glare when it’s problematic through windows. Controlling glare prevents headaches and irritated moods.
• Lower-level cells can utilize smart tints to give inmates control over their visibility, only tinting during sleeping hours or whenever privacy is desired. This autonomy reduces resentment.

With programmable scheduling, guards can even automate ideal tint levels for particular times of day, ensuring windows enhance rather than detract from safety.

Specifying Smart Tints for Correctional Facilities

If you operate a correctional facility and want to explore how smart window tints can improve safety, here are some recommendations:

• Conduct an onsite evaluation – A qualified dealer like ElectraTint can survey your facility to identify problem areas and windows suited for smart tints. They’ll assess lighting conditions and factors triggering issues. This ensures the optimal tint specifications.
• Consider ballistic resistance – In maximum security areas, opt for a ballistic-resistant film like ElectraTint that provides tough laminated protection. This deters glass from shattering due to thrown objects.
• Add manual override controls – While automatic scheduling delivers convenience, manual override controls allow guards to darken any window instantly. This provides a better response to emerging tensions.
• Centralize system controls – A centralized dashboard to control all window tints from one location enables efficient facility-wide management. Integrate with existing systems.
• Opt for natural hues – While dark tints maximize privacy, lighter, natural tints may be suitable for some areas. Natural tints still reduce glare and heat while allowing some outside visibility.
• Look for probationary solutions – Many state correctional facility projects require at least 3 probationary installations before considering wider use. Smart window film dealers can direct you to existing local installations.

Reclaim Safety with Smart Window Tints

Smart window tints by ElectraTint offer a security solution for correctional facilities, providing dynamic visibility control to reduce distractions, discourage inappropriate behavior, and enhance privacy. These intelligent films allow guards to manage transparency as needed, creating a safer, more rehabilitative environment. 

ElectraTint’s automated tinting technology helps in swiftly addressing safety risks and emergency situations. For a free estimate on enhancing your facility’s safety with ElectraTint’s innovative window tints, backed by a lifetime warranty, contact us at 833-442-1329 or info@electratint.com. ElectraTint’s experts will tailor recommendations to your facility’s specific needs, ensuring a cost-effective, long-lasting security upgrade.