Developers of ‘Signs of Life’ technology fitted in cells at two Scottish prisons say it could help prevent deaths in custody worldwide.
The system, called VisionRF, sits discreetly in a cell. Some have likened it to a ceiling smoke detector.
It uses low-power radar to detect subtle movement, including breathing and heart rate, at a distance of several metres. It can then warn staff of a possible emergency, such as a suicide attempt or a health crisis.
A small number of cells at HMP Polmont and HMP Stirling already have the equipment.
A team at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh is developing the technology. Dr Dimitris Anagnostou leads the project. He is an associate professor at the university’s Institute of Signals, Sensors and Systems.
Dr Anagnostou said custody settings needed safer and more compassionate ways of supporting healthcare. The aim, he said, was to allow early intervention in a health emergency without adding to distress or stigma.
He said VisionRF could spot serious changes in vital signs quickly and accurately. That would help staff respond before a crisis escalated.
Professor Nancy Loucks, chief executive of the charity Families Outside, said the death rate in prison was higher than ever. She said the technology could reassure families that someone was monitoring the safety of their loved one.
In her view, the faster response it allows could help prevent deaths from suicide, substance misuse and natural causes. She added that this would also reassure prison staff, who can suffer trauma when someone in their care dies.
In January, a Scottish Prison Service (SPS) spokesperson said the service had committed to a range of lasting measures. These aimed to improve support for people at their most vulnerable.
The spokesperson said the measures included the Signs of Life pilot. It would help staff keep people safe, the spokesperson said, by monitoring movement in a proportionate, non-intrusive way.
