I have to visit New York State 'Correctional Facilities' fairly regularly as part of my day job as an electrical engineer. Having been in the armories and the towers of several medium and maximum security facilities in New York, the guards inside the perimeter are usually only armed with 24"L x 1" diameter hardwood batons. Only the emergency response unit gets to carry other weapons in the facility.
Bringing personal electronics, like an iPod or cell phone into a facility is a major violation.
The armory is pretty damn secure, usually a seperate bunker built inside the administration building. The armory usually has pistols, M4 carbines, shotguns, high power rifles, pepperball guns, pepperspray, and flashbang grenades. The armory also holds the implements the facility would need to cut their way into somewhere if there were an equipment failure or the inmates baricaded themselves in. Many cellblocks are also equipped with gas systems as well.
I'm not a fan, nor are most of my co-workers (who all specialize in corrections engineering work) of the prison system. One thing I have to say, is that when you're near or in one of these facilities, don't screw around, as an institution they don't have a sense of humor at all.
As to the question of state mental instutions, I don't think that they're armed with much more than pistols, batons and pepperspray. I haven't done any work for OMH yet, so I'm not sure. But as the indviduals held in mental instutions aren't criminals, the guards usually can't shoot them.--Josh
Message: 13Date: Wed, 14 May 2008 09:03:05 -0700 (PDT)From: (Chuck Grimes) <cgrimes at rawbw.COM>Subject: [lbo-talk] Chris asks another obscure questionTo: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.orgMessage-ID: <XFMail.20080514090305.cgrimes at rawbw.com>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-asciiCan somebody out there tell me what guards in US prisons are armedwith?... Chris---------I think, standard practice is no personal arms at all when in areaswith prisoners. The idea is that arms can be taken away and usedagainst the guards.The armory probably has everything from night sticks and pepper sprayto pumb action shotguns and M-16's or whatever is the latest militaryissue. It would interesting to know what's in the towers.When I was arrested on a DUI, the first thing the ranger did after wewere admitted inside the first door was open a lock box and put his9mm Beretta into it and lock it up. Then we were admitted into thenext door. Nobody was armed inside the locked areas. I was very analytical for a drunk. The cops are very analytical tooabout how they handle you, where you go, how you get there. It's allhighly routinized, geared for maximum control at every point of theballet. Every door and room has a specific function and relationshipto prisoners and guards. It was a fascinating experience. Especiallyin the funky little jail that was probably built in the 30s. You couldstudy the architectural changes. Little welds and additions here andthere as routines were `modernized.' Prison is a culture all itsown. I would highly recommended it to anyone interested, especiallysociologists, anthropologest and political theorists.Since all that was in Yosemite, it was a federal system and theyfollowed whatever are the federal guidelines. For transport andwaiting everyone was handcuffed and shackled waist to wait. We sat onan absurdly low bench that was very difficult to stand up from,outside the court room where we were unshackled, but our cuffs wereleft on. When your turn came to go inside, you struggled up, turnedaround to face the wall and you were cerimoniously uncuffed, held bythe crook of your elbow and escourted to your seat before themagistrate. If you let go, you left by another door, i.e. `freedom.' _________________________________________________________________ With Windows Live for mobile, your contacts travel with you. http://www.windowslive.com/mobile/overview.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_mobile_052008