Corrections_Today_January_February_2024_Vol.86_No.1

Speak Out

decision making and targeted investigations. OSINT leverages web data ag gregation and artificial intelligence (AI) to help correctional officers and intelligence units gain insights from publicly available sources, such as online accounts and social media, as well as deep and dark web content. By holistically analyzing this broad spectrum of data, OSINT solutions can expose connections and rela tionships between Security Threat Groups (STGs) to identify potential contraband smuggling, criminal conspiracies, and other threats to prison safety. Combatting contraband, enhancing investigations The use of contraband cell phones is widespread throughout federal and state prisons. Contraband cell phones enable inmates to direct il legal operations inside and outside prisons and jails. Newer phones have encryption, anonymous com munication apps, better connectivity and smaller sizes, making traditional methods like perimeter hardening, managed access, and digital foren sics less effective. Integrating OSINT into intelligence gathering can help investigators detect inmates using devices to coordinate illicit activities in and out of prison. Inmates are always on the look out for prison staff that they can recruit for their own benefit. OSINT can help investigators monitor prison staff and visitor’s public posts, conversations, connections, and photos for red flags of corruption. This could identify staff involved in trafficking contraband for further investigation. They can also use

into inmate management systems they can also review past criminal justice records for indications of evaluations, treatment programs, or supervised medication that could signal conditions. Open-source intelligence (OSINT) can give understaffed facilities expanded visibility to predict, detect and prevent illegal activity and potential violence between inmates and keep prison staff and facilities safe. The key is leveraging OSINT to piece together a more complete health profile of inmates to ensure their physical and mental health needs are being met while incarcerat ed. Any insights from public sources and offenders or case management systems could flag issues requiring

OSINT to analyze inmate commu nications like prison phone calls, emails and mail for coded language that may indicate plans for contra band smuggling or connections to outside criminal networks. Correctional officers can also track visitors and their relationships with inmates through public records and social media. This can flag high risk visitors for enhanced screening. The key is combining publicly available information with internal prison data to understand networks, behaviors and trends. OSINT can help prisons stay ahead of inmates’ ever-evolving techniques for obtain ing banned items. Addressing health and mental well-being issues The number of incarcerated people who have health and mental illness is growing across the country, putting increased work and burden on correctional officers and prison officials. Prison officials and medical pro fessionals can use OSINT to work collaboratively to detect, prevent and mitigate health-related issues that affect the inmate population. For instance, using OSINT they can review public records for any prior medical diagnoses, prescriptions, or health incidents documented in legal proceedings, news reports, or other sources. They can search for online posts by the inmate or their family members that reference health problems, appointments or medica tions. Moreover, prison officials can analyze inmate communications such as calls, emails or letters for mentions of medical needs, symp toms or requests for care. Tapping

further medical assessment. Identifying patterns and relationships

OSINT leverages natural language processing to rapidly parse massive volumes of data. Advanced algorithms can detect patterns, relationships, and

Corrections Today January/February 2024 — 23