A New AI Listens to Every Prison Call and Identifies Speakers
A Texas-based company, LEO Technologies, has introduced an artificial intelligence system that listens to prison phone calls and identifies speakers, regardless of whether they intend to be recognized or not.
The Product: Verus Voice AI
The product uses voice biometrics to detect when inmates use someone else’s personal identification number (PIN) on prison phones. It continuously builds and tracks voice identities, contrasting with traditional methods that rely on staff spotting anomalies.
“Personal identification codes and phones can be shared, coerced, or swapped amongst inmates,” said Tim Anderson, a senior vice president at LEO Technologies. "But a voice can’t be.”
Built-in Safeguards and Human Oversight
The company emphasizes that the system includes built-in safeguards and that all findings are reviewed by qualified personnel before any action is taken. They promote human oversight and accountability throughout the process.
However, their product page makes a bolder claim:
"Upload any voice sample and instantly search for matches across all conversations. This eliminates the need for manual verification."
Another page on their website is more direct:
“Identify who’s speaking, even when they don’t want to be identified.”
This suggests a searchable database of voices, queryable against any voice sample provided by investigators.
Historical Context: Voice Biometrics in Jails
Voice biometrics technology is not new to American jails. Securus Technologies has been selling a product called Investigator Pro for over a decade with similar capabilities: detecting PIN abuse and recognizing callers.
In 2019, investigations by The Appeal and The Intercept revealed that numerous states had built databases containing hundreds of thousands of voiceprints, often collected from individuals awaiting trial. Data was stored on vendor networks rather than the jails’ own systems, raising concerns about privacy and consent.
Civil liberties advocates argue that consent in such situations is questionable, as inmates may feel pressured to provide voice samples to maintain contact with their families. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) has expressed concern about profits derived from biometric data collected by private companies from government agencies.