I've lurked this site for the last 6 months, one thing I havent found yet are any of your personal y2k experiences. I maintain the electronics and computer networks for 1 max security, 2 medium, and 3 minimum security prisons. I would say the state, but many of my co-workers are GI's and I dont need the hassles. The state hired out the Y2K testing to an outside consultant that in my opinion really didnt know jack. He originally completed his inspection of a number of my facilities and let me take a look at his data. He missed a few critical things and had I not been doing my own research, I might have missed them too. For instance, he originally missed the best power ups's (2kva), and a number of STD Bus embedded boards used for Multiplexed rs232 Comms. As it turns out the mf80 (manufactured by Matrix)comm board is not compliant. How many other things are the "Consultants" missing. That one oops would have caused the loss of all door control from central control. Understand, there are 164 inmates, monitored by 2 officers. How safe would it be running it by key. Also, one thing the consultant did get was the Honeywell energy management system is not compliant. They intend to call it out for bid in a few weeks, and hope they will get it installed by december. I have never seen the state do anything on time before. I imagine those inmates are going to get mighty cold come January. The alarm reporting system (Monitor Dynamics) is not compliant either. Installed only 4 years ago, the cost of replacing it is 70,000$. Fortunately, we can set the date back and it will survive with incorrect date on all logging. All in all not too troubling, unless they dont get the Energy Management right in time. There is no manual overide on it. When it is rolled over, it shuts down the air,,,,period. And Honeywell says you cant do anything for it. Hope you dont have any stock in Honeywell. I imagine the lawyers are going to get a huge chunk of that stock. Well, just wanted yall to know. It doesnt mean that all the doors are going to fly open (least not at mine), or the Fence Detection fail. It just means we may have a bunch of pissed off inmates causing trouble come the new year. Anyone that wants to get technical, or confidential, the email is real. Thanks everybody, I've picked up alot on this site. Both Sides included.

P.S. At some of our prisons you can purchase a rank of wood 4x4x4 for 30$, and they load it. All hand split and loaded by scumbags, but it burns great. Cheap Huh?

-- J.C. (notdawarden@hotmail.com), August 13, 1999

Answers

J.C.,

Glad to see you post. Who would I talk to in my state or county about the firewood?

Sincerely, Stan Faryna

-- Stan Faryna (info@giglobal.com), August 13, 1999.

Thanks for this info, J.C.

You mention "...loss of all door control from central control...." Last year I read that if door control were to be lost the doors would remain locked, not open. Is that true?

And, how will prisons handle riots if outside help cannot be called- in?

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), August 14, 1999.

Have you ever heard of the hoover amendment?I think it may have been set in place during ,actually before the stock market crash in the 20s.Its something to do with gasing the inmates,instead of turning them loose or them getting loose(not sure)just wondering!I have heard a few people mention it>

-- y2kme1 (perfect10@snowcrest.net), August 14, 1999.

Thanks JC - interesting.......

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), August 14, 1999.

Stan,

Just call the prison's Business Office and ask them.

Rachel,

It all depends on the PLC or Embedded system they use, and how that particular model reacts. Some may throw the bits high, some low. Thats the problem, its all up to the system. For instance MTI (Mongomery Technologies Inc.),a system produced down in Alabama is all dependant on it's clock. If the loop is powered and the clock is lost, all bits go high. This company has been pretty well banned from our state facilities, but because the system is so cheap (all embedded), most county jails and larger city jails use it. It is really just a crumby product, I have no idea as to their y2k compliance.

y2k1,

Never heard of the Hoover ammendment. As I understand it, the states plan is always to call in the National Guard if they lose control. But I imagine they will be kind of busy if we need them. BTW alot of the officers have said if it did get really bad they would be damned if they would leave there families at home to fend for themselves. I dont know about yall's state, but ours doesnt have much of a plan for that event.

Like I said, the only system I know for sure will fail is our heat and air. I know of plenty of other PLC's produced; Alan Bradley, Omron, Square D, Gem, all have compliance issues, some fail high, some low, some just keep chuggin and log the wrong date. I am fairly confident that we found most of our stuff, but if your consultant was as worthless as ours and you didnt have someone checking on him who knows where you stand.

Worst case senario: Did you see "The Stand", particularly the jail seen? I am certain the officers will already have the inmates in their cells (at least in my state) for the rollover. Remember, all those people who work there, live somewhere near there. Most would kill them before they would let them escape to the local community.

-- JC (notdawarden@hotmail.com), August 14, 1999.

J.C.

I do not know what the staff in your state prisons will do. However, I am very sure that in the prisons in my state the staff would not kill the cons in large numbers to keep them inside. They would shoot one or two going over the wall but I just can not see them going cell to cell killing them all.

-- Mike 9.5 (sheadwor@ionia.k12.mi.us), August 14, 1999.

Mike 9.5

I did not mean to imply that the officers would kill them before they left to go home. I mearly meant to say they would be killed if they tried to go over the fence, and they would be locked nice and tight in their cells prior to abandonment.

-- JC (notdawarden@hotmail.com), August 14, 1999.

J. C.

Sorry, I misunderstood your post. Thank you for clearing it up for me. I thought you were saying the staff would kill all the cons before they would leave them unguarded.

I live a few miles for a complex of five major facilites ( min to super max ) and they are my main concern reguarding W2K.

Thank you for helping ro keep the prisons in your area secure.

-- Mike 9.5 (sheadwor@ionia.k12.mi.us), August 14, 1999.

JC -- you said they'd be locked in before the guards abandoned them? Shooting them might be kinder.

-- John (JackJackson50@hotmail.com), August 14, 1999.

John:

If the Cons are locked in cells and all the staff just go home, they will break out of all but the most secure prisons. I also would expect that even the ones in very secure prisons would be unlocked by " some " of the staff or cons from a less secure level of confinement.

-- Mike 9.5 (sheadwor@ionia.k12.mi.us), August 14, 1999.

In "The Stand," nearly everyone dies of this disease. A few of the immunes have the misfortune to be incarcerated when this happens. Imagine you're stuck in a cell, alive & healthy, & EVERYONE else is dead. There's no one to release you, or feed you, or even shoot you. Real unpleasant. I stopped reading Stephen King after this book. Enough is enough.

-- hey stevie thanks (for@the.nightmares), August 14, 1999.