A New BOSS in Prison: Alternative Technology in Searches

Since the 1990’s, prisons have been built according to management strictures and technological choices allowing them to control prisoners, staff and visitors. This articleillustrates the shifts in security in the prison world through the study of a specialisttechnology: the Body Orifice Security Scanner (BOSS). Starting with a description ofthis security device, which could apparently become a substitute for controversial stripsearch practices, the article addresses the choices and the use of this instrument inCanadian prisons, considering security and rights. The production of unexpected andunintended effects by BOSS, as well as its design, lead us to analyze BOSS as a technology of governance, a daily reminder of who the real boss is in prison.