The Wedge: Willo’s Impact Test Certified Surface-Mounted Lock Pocket

You’ve hired the best corrections officers, trained them well, and trusted them to run your jail with integrity. But that might not be enough.

Even with the best security personnel in place, inmates may still find a way to tamper with outdated locks. Inmates jam cloth, paper, cardboard, and even plastic silverware into locks to manipulate the bolt mechanisms and escape.

One of the biggest problems with outdated locks is that inmates share historical information with each other about the best ways to tamper with locks. This is especially true if the locks have been in place for decades.

The price tag for new locks and the downtime required to replace them may seem daunting, but the costs of delaying could far outweigh the costs of upgrading.

Chances are that when the inmates tamper with the locks, it will eventually lead to breakouts and riots, ending with emergencies and medical bills due to assaults. These assaults have the potential to end in a lawsuit and the costs can be astronomical. The continuing tampering with the locks also puts a strain on maintenance staff and the unsecure environment tends to lead to low employee morale and high turnover.

It might be easier than you think to bring a low-cost, trustworthy solution to city, county, and jail officials with the following data about our most widely-used lock: The Wedge.

What Is the Wedge?

Many older facilities feature a narrow-jamb lock that mounts into a two-inch-wide door frame. This minimum-security lock is outdated and cannot withstand the abuse it gets in a maximum-security cell block.

Willo designed the Wedge as a more secure surface-mounted lock pocket with a patented Gripper and Tamper Alarm to counter the many ways you see your locks being defeated. Its unique features provide additional security without the need for disturbing existing construction. It was designed to be integrated with most pre-existing controls with minimal modifications.

How Is the Wedge Different from Other Swinging Door Locks?

Trusted by Jails and Correctional Institutions Nationwide

With over 14,000 wedges sold to date over the past 10+ years, our product continues to be the go-to solution for compromised cell door locks.

The Wedge has been installed in some of the largest state correctional facilities, municipalities, and county jails in the country. In this way, it’s becoming the industry-standard swinging door lock.

Patented Features

The Willo Wedge has multiple patented features, designed to stop the many ways that inmates are manipulating the existing locks.

The patented double offset prevents access to the lock bolt area from inside the cell.

The patented gripper prevents sheeting, an all-too-common escape ploy used by inmates.

The patented tamper alarm alerts the officer that the lock is manipulated and needs to be addressed in order to deadlock properly. This is done by sounding an audible alarm and a flashing red LED at the door. Red/Green indication is also given at the door via LED for a normal status of either unsecure or secure.

Why Should I Trust the Wedge?

Impact Testing

The ASTM F1450 test is required for a Grade 1 Detention Door and Frame. The test requires 600 impacts of 200 ft. lbs. each from a battering ram. Our device not only passed the 600 impacts but went on to receive another 600 impacts and still passed!

Fulton County Jail Real-Life Test

After Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia experienced a high rate of attacks due to lock defeats, jail officials contacted Willo for help. As a result, Willo created the Wedge and tested it in real-time in the Fulton County Jail. Colonel Mark Adger, Chief Jailer, incentivized his most proficient inmates at popping locks with $20 for commissary if they could defeat the Wedge. Not a single inmate could defeat it.

With these test results, Colonel Adger was able to get funding to install 950 Wedges throughout the two seven-story towers. https://willoproducts.com/case-studies/fulton-county-jail-wedge-retrofit/

What About Maintenance?

Willo provides a 1-year standard warranty on all installed products. We also offer maintenance contracts covering all of our installed locking systems. This provides annual routine maintenance on the locking system, ensuring it continues to run and operate properly and efficiently. A good comparison when it comes to justifying a maintenance contract is that it’s like getting your oil changed in your car to keep it running smoothly.

When it comes to maintenance long-term, we offer replacement components and parts for all products installed, ensuring you will always have a source for any components that may wear out over time. Operation and maintenance manuals are provided at the end of each installation, providing recommended maintenance as well as part numbers for components.

Are You Ready to Improve Your Security and Reduce Your Liability?

You can depend on our 50+ years of experience when it comes to finding the right security solutions for your facility. With extensive knowledge in locking devices, security electronics, and parts, we are the one-stop shop to provide a solution to your specific security issues. Contact us today to speak about your security needs. https://willoproducts.com/contact/