Prison Perimeter Cost-Effectiveness

This paper describes a study which was carried out for Home Office Prison Department. The problem under review was that of providing cost-effective Perimeter Security for Prisons. This involved identifying performance measures for prison perimeters. First performance and cost measures had to be found for individual elements of a perimeter (for example, walls, cameras). Next, a mathematical formulation was developed to assess the cost-effectiveness of perimeter cross-sections as a whole. The mathematical model has formed the basis of a computer model. This paper describes the development and use of the computer model and outlines areas of development for the future.