Security and Communication in Correctional Facilities:

Intelligent, Integrated Intercom and Access Control Management

Mathias Bertrand

Laurent Pellen,

And

Paul Santos

In recent years, correctional intercom systems have faced multiple challenges. These include:

  • Technological advancements, particularly the introduction of IP-based infrastructure in correctional environments.
  • Sociological shifts, reflecting the changing dynamics between incarcerated individuals and correctional staff.
  • The need for cost-effective, accessible products that accommodate incarcerated individuals with disabilities.
  • Rising levels of violence, requiring more durable, tamper-resistant equipment and the difficulty of transforming products/device into weapons.

Today, intercom systems are no longer just tools for basic communication. They have become essential components of correctional facility security, supporting increasingly sophisticated workflows for call processing and incident verification. These systems enable correctional officers to make rapid, informed decisions, especially in situations that are critical or at risk of becoming so. Moreover, intercoms have become mandatory elements in the regulations of some countries in order to ensure 24/7 communication between incarcerated individuals and correctional surveillance teams.

A Comprehensive Access Management Solution for Secure Operations

Modern corrections access control relies on an integrated system that combines intercom and access control technologies. This all-in-one solution governs both external access points (such as perimeters, parking areas, and visitor entries) and internal access zones designated for staff. The creation of these access paths is also a means of securing staff, visitors and incarcerated individuals through visual, audio, and electronic control.

For external access, the system ensures tight control of the surrounding perimeter while enabling secure and organized entry for visitors and staff alike.

Zone-Based Access Control: Tailored for Operational Needs Non-Detention Areas: Balancing Security and Mobility

Within the facility, but outside detention areas, access control is tailored to different user profiles: administrative staff, management, technical personnel, and others. Each group is granted customized access rights, configured via pre-set scenarios to ensure both secure and fluid movement throughout the site.

Staff members can access their permitted zones independently using badge readers integrated with the intercom system. In case of a forgotten badge or access issue, the intercom enables real-time access requests. All access events are logged and archived, ensuring a traceable history of movement.

Detention Areas: Technology in Service of Security

In high-security detention areas, technology enhances safety for both staff and incarcerated individuals. Officers can request access via hallway intercom units, which are granted only after dual verification through the video surveillance system.

Using ONVIF or RTSP protocols, intercom video feeds are routed to a centralized CCTV system, offering high-resolution, front-facing identification of the individual. In parallel, an overhead surveillance camera provides a wide-angle environmental view, helping to identify risks or unusual activity.

This dual-layer verification, human and technological, ensures access points are opened only after full validation, merging the best of both safety worlds.

Emergency Intercom: Maximum Responsiveness in Critical Situations

Emergency intercom systems are crucial in case of incidents or assaults. When integrated with CCTV systems, they allow for rapid alerts and swift responses. These intercoms may be push-button operated or proximity-activated, triggered by a hand wave, and are installed in key traffic zones throughout the facility.

In the event of an alert, a supervisor can immediately reach the control center or contact fellow officers via integration with the facility’s radio communication system. During crises such as riots, the system also enables global intercom conferencing, linking all security stations via secure group audio.

In-Cell Intercom: Blending Safety, Comfort, and Assistance

In correctional environments, the in-cell intercom is often the incarcerated individual’s only direct communication link to staff. These systems are designed to ensure consistent service through intelligent call-handling scenarios such as call forwarding, overflow routing, and time-based management.

Two Main Functions:

  • Emergency Use: Incarcerated individuals can request assistance 24/7. Daytime calls are routed to the on-site control post; nighttime calls go to the central monitoring station. Visual signals (like a lighted indicator visible from the hallway) notify the guard, who can respond and acknowledge the request using a key, button, badge, or fingerprint reader.
  • Comfort Features: These intercoms allow staff to broadcast voice messages, live or pre-recorded, into individual cells or common areas. Officers can, for instance, notify an incarcerated individual about a scheduled visit or issue general announcements (yard time, cell lockdown, etc.). The system can also interface with public address (PA) systems to deliver messages outdoors. Some models support radio streaming, allowing incarcerated individuals to listen to approved stations, and can even be used by guards to control cell lighting (main, shower, or night lights).

Designed for Accessibility: Serving Incarcerated Individuals with Disabilities

Intercom systems are designed with inclusivity in mind. Features such as remote call buttons (e.g., mounted near the bed) or large-surface, touch-sensitive intercoms ensure that even those with reduced mobility can easily place calls. Video intercoms enable non-verbal communication, including sign language, for incarcerated individuals with speech or hearing impairments.

Visitor Room Intercoms: Secure Communication for Sensitive Exchanges

In visiting rooms, whether family-oriented or separated by glass, intercoms enable secure communication between incarcerated individuals and their visitors (family, attorneys, etc.). These systems may include discreet listening or recording functions to enhance security during visits and ensure compliance with facility policies.

Engineered for Correctional Environments

Correctional intercom systems must be intuitive for incarcerated individual use, easy to maintain, and built to withstand the unique challenges of correctional settings. This includes resistance to impact, vandalism, and wear, as well as mechanical compatibility with different facility layouts.

Uncompromising Audio Clarity and Durability

Clear, reliable communication is essential. Intercom units must deliver loud, clear, and secure audio even in echo-prone or noisy environments. Effective audio is critical to the safety and functionality of inmate-guard interactions.

IP-Based Architecture: Scalable and Future-Ready

The shift toward IP (Internet Protocol) technology has transformed correctional communication. Modern intercom systems must support IP-based transmission for seamless integration with other security systems. This is particularly important for the renovation of existing facilities, which often require a transition from older 2-wire systems to fully digital or hybrid networks.

Modern installations may utilize star, bus, looped-bus, or mixed cable architectures. Fully IP-enabled systems allow for centralized control of audio, video, data, and power using a single RJ45 Ethernet cable, thanks to PoE (Power over Ethernet) or PoE+ technologies.

While IP has enhanced performance and ease of installation, it introduces new cybersecurity risks. Therefore, security infrastructure must now include:

  • Firewalls
  • RADIUS-based access control
  • Strong encryption protocols

All to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of communication.

Interoperability and Integration with Centralized Security Systems

Managing the security of a correctional center involves the integration of multiple technologies that operate interoperability. The performance of each technology is monitored by VMS or PSIM software. The key to technological and economic mastery is the so-called “standard” communication protocol. The intercom (and its SIP protocol) integrates perfectly into this ecosystem: building management, access control, CCTV, intrusion detection, fire detection, and alarm systems.

Technological assistance supports human decision-making and allows correctional center teams to make the best choices, saving extremely precious time: events, analysis, and decision-making. Hearing and seeing well are a sound foundation for good communication and understanding.

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Mathias Bertrand is the CASTEL International Sales Director. For more information, he can be reached at mathias.bertrand@castel.fr

Laurent Pellen is the CASTEL Justice Department Manager. For more information, he can be reached at laurent.pellen@castel.fr

Paul Santos is the CASTEL Communication Manager. For more information, he can be reached at paul.santos@castel.fr

CASTEL is a word leader on intercom and access control solutions for the most demanding environments as commercial and industrial buildings, medical institutions, transport sector, parking, military and correctional facilities.