Don’t Take Security for Granted

In a world where we spend our lives surrounded by things built for ease of use, it is easy to mistake how simple a device is to use with how simple or complex the device actually is. All too often, the level of detail that goes into making a device, and especially the level of care needed to keep it operating reliably, is overlooked because its day-to-day use doesn’t require much thought. As we take these details for granted, wear and tear can cause minor issues, and if ignored long enough, those minor issues can become major ones.

Consider, for example, an elevator. For the average user, operating an elevator is simple enough: they press a button, and the elevator takes them to the floor they selected. Few people think of the complex machinery that goes into that simple process—the pulley systems and controls to lift and lower the cabin, the mechanisms to open and close the doors, the electronics to ensure the elevator stops on the correct floor, and the safety brakes and buffers in the event of an emergency.

All of these parts require an expert level of maintenance to continue operating smoothly and safely. Neglecting one part can lead to a minor failure and the inconvenience of having to take the stairs.

With enough neglect, however, a minor failure can become a catastrophic one, and what may have been a mere inconvenience can instead end in tragedy. It can be very easy to take for granted the amount of work that makes sure using an elevator is as simple as it is.

The Complexity of a Reliable Detention Lock

Likewise, the complexity of a detention lock and the importance of proper maintenance can also slip the minds of the personnel who use them every day. Operating a lock is usually as simple as turning a key. However, inside the lock’s housing are the bolt and tumblers, as well as safety devices to protect the lock from failing.

In addition, electro-mechanical locks may also include motors, solenoids, actuators, control switches, and a manual override in the event of a power failure. Just like using an elevator every day, using locking systems every day makes it easy to take them for granted.

Neglecting Your Locking Systems Could be Catastrophic

Wear and tear on these mechanisms is inevitable, especially in heavier-use areas where a lock may be operated dozens of times per day, which can cause any number of minor problems over time. Neglecting these minor problems can snowball into catastrophic failures in the locking systems.

Compounding the issue are the inmates themselves, many of whom find increasingly clever ways to defeat older locks in order to escape their cells, often to attack other inmates or staff.

Ongoing Maintenance Is Essential

Proper maintenance of detention locks, then, is a major concern for any correctional facility. Despite this, many facilities have not updated their locking systems in decades. This can be due to a number of causes, from funding issues to not having enough qualified staff to recognize a problem when it arises. Often, however, it comes to simply taking the locking systems for granted, assuming that because the lock works on one given day, it will continue to work the next day, the day after that, and so on.

Willo Products, however, does not take the upkeep of detention locks for granted. We fully understand the importance of equipping correctional facilities with the best locking systems available and keeping them maintained at high standards. We know the complexity of each lock we install and how to prevent each part from becoming a potential point of failure. And we take great pride in knowing that our solutions help make facilities across the country and around the world safer and more secure, for the staff and the inmates alike.

Since the 1970s, Willo Products has provided security solutions to meet the needs of any correctional facility, whether they hold a handful of inmates or thousands. In addition to the latest parts and equipment for locking systems, we offer maintenance services to make sure those systems continue to operate in top shape for years to come. We even offer complete renovations for aging facilities, allowing them to keep pace with modern standards and stay a step ahead of clever inmates hoping to manipulate their existing locks. As seen in our overhaul of the Fulton County Jail, our solutions can drastically improve staff morale, reduce inmate violence, and increase the safety of everyone in the facility.

Explore our services, and see what Willo Products can do to meet your security needs.