DOI: 10.11118/978-80-7701-082-5-0124

Blackout in Prisons as a Security Problem

Ondřej Kolář ORCID...¹, Alena Lochmannová ORCID...¹

¹ Police Academy of the Czech Republic in Prague, Lhotecká 559/7, 143 00 Praha 4-Kamýk, Czech Republic

A blackout, understood as a large-scale and often prolonged loss of electrical power, represents a specific security risk for prisons. The operation of a prison is currently critically dependent on an uninterrupted supply of electricity. This includes perimeter security, control of the movement of incarcerated persons, the functioning of security technologies, camera systems and communication systems, as well as the provision of basic needs for sentenced inmates and Prison Service staff. A blackout is therefore not only a matter of comfort and technical inconvenience. It represents a direct threat to the safety of the facility and, subsequently, to public safety outside the prison. This article views the prison as part of the state's critical infrastructure. It describes the types of threats that emerge immediately after the loss of power and in the following hours and days of operation, how operational and tactical procedures inside the facility should be directed, and what role is assumed by the prison's crisis staff. It also outlines the process of returning to normal functioning once power supply is restored. We argue that preparedness for a blackout cannot be understood solely as a matter of having a diesel generator and sufficient fuel reserves. It is also about personnel readiness, established command processes, functional lines of communication, prioritisation of essential operations, and secure basic logistics. If a prison fails in this initial phase, the risk of panic, collective unrest, escape attempts and direct threats to staff increases significantly.

Keywords: Blackout, Prison, Crisis Management, Perimeter Security, Critical Infrastructure

pages: 124-129, online: 2026