Not that these are high on anyone's list of places to spend a great deal of time in, if any time at all, but the interest of prisons and the curiosity they instill as a subject never wanes. The very mention of their names will induce thoughts to shudder by and stories of night's gone afoul, crimes committed, and sentences handed out and of course, the random movie, comedy and action alike.
Jails and prisons, holding cells and detention facilities are a real part of every culture and society and in most cases help to keep in what might be unsavory if left out. As the locksmith knows there are many aspects to this industry to service. From the county to the state, the private and the federal, special needs must be met in order to work properly and the type of hardware and lock required in these buildings must be precise.
Security levels vary at detention facilities from low, medium and high and also have separate areas that require low to high levels even if the building is a low level prison. All needs are different with varying levels of security and the Las Vegas locksmith who installs, replaces or services these locks and their hardware is well aware of this fact.
For most high-security situations mechanical and electromechanical locks are generally used. The electromagnetic locks are installed in frame jams and can be operated remotely from a console. The mechanical locks are typically models with lever or wafer tumblers.
Heavy duty electric strikes are widely used in these facilities as they provide a dual function with mechanical and electric access control. While not a great choice for maximum security prisons, a low to medium level detention facility can use them for individual confinement rooms. Electric strikes are very useful in creating what is called a man-trap system. A man-trap system is a means of controlling access to a restricted area by requiring a person to walk through two electronically interlocking doors, thus necessitating that walk through one door, wait while it is closed and locked before the second door is able to be opened. This permits the guards of the detention center to perform any necessary searches and inspections prior to entering restricted areas.
Hardware for these locks is more or less relegated to the various types of hinges made to work with these products and the others that are installed in jails and prisons. Obviously for security reason these hinges can range in size from two inches up to four and a half inches and there are also those, called electronic power transfer hinges, which are designed to supply power from the door frames to the locks.
While it is best to not visit these places as a hobby there is, in fact, quite an intricate system for lock security in place to be aware of, and in the same respects that a locksmith is careful to not leave any of their tools behind that can open or manipulate these locks, always be mindful in the same respects to yourself and others to stay out of them.
