As part of the FORS 200 - Forensic Seminar guest lecture series, three representatives from the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, came to discuss the work they do in Nebraska’s 10 correctional facilities.
Since “prisons are like little cities”, there are crimes committed and investigations happening all the time. Most common issues include fights, assaults, contraband, and sexual assaults. Correctional investigators work with many different agencies when conducting their investigations. Frequent items being smuggled in include tobacco and cell phones.
To combat these crimes, databases are used to track anything and everything about an inmate. Mail is monitored and phone calls are tracked. Inmates are subject to search at any time and investigators also spend a lot of time doing “open-sourced research”, or looking at public social media accounts on the internet. In addition, inmate interviews are common aspects of an investigation. Investigators are provided training in interviewing to look at body language to gauge an inmate’s deception, use the correct demeanor to produce the most information, and recognize the potential danger to inmates sharing information.
For those interested in a position, there are paid internships, they are always hiring, and are currently understaffed.