By Anne Berleant
HORRY COUNTY, S.C. — A South Carolina detention center has added a new tool to its de-escalation toolbox, according to ABC15. But Ernest Lowe, Sergeant of Special Operations at the J. Ruben Detention Center, said he hopes they won’t have to use it often on inmates.
“They’ll see it and they’ll automatically calm down and de-escalate,” Lowe said.
The G.L.O.V.E., which stands for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, has contact points on all five fingers that deliver an electrical charge when you touch a specific area of the body. Compliant Technologies released the G.L.O.V.E. for law enforcement in 2019.
The prison G.L.O.VE. was released in 2020 and is yellow instead of black, to help identify which corrections officer is wearing them during a de-escalation event.
The G.L.O.V.E. uses 80% less voltage compared to other electrical conducted weapons, according to Compliant Technologies. It causes discomfort but leaves no scars or burns and has been used more than 2,000 times without injury. Lowe purchased four sets for the emergency response team but has yet to use the device on an inmate.
The device can be used in place of pepper spray and batons, Lowe told ABC15. “People tend to lock their hands together and you can’t pull them apart,” Lowe said. “You can use the G.L.O.V.E. to get them to break their arms loose and be able to apply handcuffs to them.”
Next comes training team members on how and when to use the device, which will also show the device’s range of uses.
“The more we do with it, we’ll know where we can use it,” Lowe said. “It’s an option for us to use in specific situations.”