KWES NewsWest 9 / Midland, Odessa, Big Spring, TX: newswest9.com | New Camera System Installed at Ector County Detention Center

"When we had them escaped, something we noticed in our cameras system we had a lot of blind spots," Ector County Sheriff, Mark Donaldson, said.

After those incidents, the jail needed to do something to make sure it wouldn't happen again.

"We were trying to figure out a way to put in a new camera system that would cover those blind spots," Donaldson said.

Before the new system was installed they only had 24 cameras and now they have over 400 cameras watching inside and outside of the jail.

"It just helps, it's one more set of eyes that is looking at people and making sure that they are not doing something bad," Donaldson said.

The cameras were just installed a few months ago and they are everywhere, they are outside, in the cells and the hallways. It's all operated from the central control station. But these are no ordinary cameras, they can record sound, are motion activated and they can rotate.

"Because of technology, you couldn't have cameras in the cells because of privacy of certain things. Now with the digital age, you can mask the toilets, the showers, to where you can't see that area," Donaldson said.

That's right, the screens block private areas with a colored squares and the new technology makes it easier for the jail to deal with the internal problems.

"It cuts down on accusations of abuse or fights in the cells. We now can see who started what, who did what and we don't have to rely on statements from inmates," Donaldson said.

The new system saves the recordings for a month and if needed they can go back later and look at them. They used $300,000 of commissary money to pay for all the cameras inside the jail and the recreational areas.

Outside the jail, officials asked County Commissioners for $16,000 to cover the roof and parking lots. The Sheriff says that just in the few months the system has been in place, it has helped tremendously.

"It's a protection for the officers as much as it is for the inmates. It's already come in handy," Donaldson said.