suicide prevention

This article is reprinted from the Winter 2005 edition of TechBeat, the quarterly newsmagazine of the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center system.

In the late-night quiet of a prison cellblock, an inmate slips his hand into a small slit under his mattress and pulls out a cell phone. Speed dial connects him to his outside contact, he speaks a few prearranged words, and another drug deal is made. Technology – albeit contraband technology – allows him to operate as if he were still on the streets.