Life Signs Monitoring system tested in police stations and custody cells in the UK
Published 22 October 2014
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FOI 32344
CAST are not aware of this system being used in UK prisons, but it has been installed in some UK police station custody suites.
CAST (formerly the Home Office Scientific Development Branch) tested the system in police custody cells and not in prison cells where environments could be significantly different.
CAST testing of the system has shown that objects moving inside the cell (curtains, fans, running water, flying insects), and in some cases larger moving objects outside, can mask or hide cessation of prisoner movement. To prevent suicides, a system providing warning of impending suicide attempt (eg regular checks and appropriately monitored CCTV) would be far more useful.