The secret weapon inside corrections

While security and access control are of critical importance in nearly every industry, they are prioritized even more so for those within correctional facilities. Maintaining a secure infrastructure for staff officers and inmates is foundational, and for many jails and prisons, that begins with physical keys. How they manage and authorize access to keys goes a long way to ensuring smooth operations, which is a necessity when dealing with potentially dangerous inmates. Thankfully, available technology is empowering corrections officers and site managers to safeguard their buildings and provide a stable framework for efficient key management.

A central purpose

Even though correctional facilities can often include a complex mix of departments, rooms, assets and keys, effective access management boils down to a simple, central concept: monitoring who has access to what and when. Because keys serve a central purpose in accessing a variety of areas, their management needs to be prioritized above all else.

Unfortunately, some correctional facilities are still managing their keys through outdated and manual methods like pegboards, desk drawers and handwritten notebooks. This is not only cumbersome to maintain, but it can leave facilities susceptible to lost or stolen keys, which can be a tremendous operational, financial and reputational risk. Just one misplaced key could turn into a crisis scenario and require an entire facility to be rekeyed, which is why it’s important to consider modern solutions that protect against that from happening.