Prisoner transport vehicle
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A prisoner transport vehicle, informally known as a "Sweat Box" amongst British prisoners, is a specially designed or retrofitted vehicle, usually a van or bus, used to transport prisoners from one secure area, such as a prison or courthouse, to another. Less commonly, aircraft, railcars or
vessels Vessel(s) or The Vessel may refer to: Biology *Blood vessel, a part of the circulatory system and function to transport blood throughout the body *Lymphatic vessel, a thin walled, valved structure that carries lymph *Vessel element, a narrow wat ...
are also similarly fitted. These vehicles must be highly protected and may feature bars or wire mesh over the windows, bulletproof glass, segregated prisoner compartments, and additional seating for escorting officers.


Function

Due to their relatively low security and potential isolation from assistance while en route, police or additional corrections vehicles sometimes escort high-risk transports. With this in mind, vehicles may also be equipped with radio communications, global positioning units, additional restraints and weapons, and other emergency equipment. To add additional security, prisoners are typically restrained while in transport and may be physically secured to the vehicle, handcuffed while in the secured area, or a combination of both. Prisoner transport vehicles may be operated by police services (see
paddywagon A police van (also known as a paddy wagon, meat wagon, divisional van, patrol van, patrol wagon, police wagon, Black Mariah/Maria, police carrier, or in old-fashioned usage, pie wagon) is a type of vehicle operated by police forces. Police vans ...
), correctional services, field officers, court services, federal agencies such as the
United States Marshals Service The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The USMS is a bureau within the U.S. Department of Justice, operating under the direction of the Attorney General, but serves as the enforceme ...
, or be contracted to
private security companies A private security company (PSC) is a business entity which provides armed or unarmed security services and expertise to clients in the private or public sectors. Overview Private security companies are defined by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Sta ...
. Prison buses were widely used in the late 1900s to transport prisoners, especially to state prisons across the US. They were usually quite secure and offered no way of escape for transporting prisoners. In Canada, most provincial governments have their own fleet of prisoner transport vehicles built to specifications developed to meet their own particular needs. All vehicles, however, must meet the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS) to be licensed for use. These vehicles are usually built by an authorized second-stage vehicle modifier who will affix the National Safety Mark to the vehicle after completion and testing. In the past, police officers were used to carry prisoners on horse-drawn wagons, but they gave way to vans in the 20th Century. As well, prisoner transport is mostly done by civilian units within many Canadian police forces. In
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
, those detained by police and other agencies were once placed on open-ended lorries or prisoner carriers with two rows on benches. Today police vans are often used to carry these individuals.
Hong Kong Correctional Services Hong Kong Correctional Services (also called Correctional Services Department (CSD)) is responsible for the management of prisoners and prisons in Hong Kong. The Commissioner of Correctional Services reports to the Secretary for Security. ...
transport prisoners to and from court in vans, buses or trucks.


Images

File:Mercedes Cell Van Image.jpg, A Cell Van used by UK Immigration Enforcement to safely transport detainees File:PL Cytadela kibitka.jpg, 19th century Russian ''kibitka'' wagon used for transporting political prisoners File:Reliance FX04LXE.jpg, British prisoner transport vehicle. File:Mercedes black crow.jpg, A reconstruction of the "black crow" prison bus used by the
NKVD The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (russian: Наро́дный комиссариа́т вну́тренних дел, Naródnyy komissariát vnútrennikh del, ), abbreviated NKVD ( ), was the interior ministry of the Soviet Union. ...
during the
Katyn massacre The Katyn massacre, "Katyń crime"; russian: link=yes, Катынская резня ''Katynskaya reznya'', "Katyn massacre", or russian: link=no, Катынский расстрел, ''Katynsky rasstrel'', "Katyn execution" was a series of m ...
in 1940. File:國安法首案 唐英傑判囚 9 年 囚車駛離高等法院 20210730.png, alt=Hong Kong Correctional Services Department's prison bus, Hong Kong Correctional Services Department's prisoner transport vehicle


References


See also

{{Commons category, Prisoner transport vehicles *
Police van A police van (also known as a paddy wagon, meat wagon, divisional van, patrol van, patrol wagon, police wagon, Black Mariah/Maria, police carrier, or in old-fashioned usage, pie wagon) is a type of police vehicle, vehicle operated by Police, po ...
(Black Maria, paddywagon) *
Police bus A police bus, also known as a police van is a minibus, full-sized bus or coach used by police forces for a variety of reasons. Depending on the use, police buses might have markings or a livery indicating its ownership by the police, and also h ...
* Stolypin wagon *
Paddywagon A police van (also known as a paddy wagon, meat wagon, divisional van, patrol van, patrol wagon, police wagon, Black Mariah/Maria, police carrier, or in old-fashioned usage, pie wagon) is a type of vehicle operated by police forces. Police vans ...
*
Diesel therapy Diesel therapy is a form of punishment in the United States in which prisoners are shackled and then transported for days or weeks; the term refers to the diesel fuel used in prisoner transport vehicles. It has been alleged that some inmates are del ...
Police vehicles Prisons