How long should security surveillance media generally be maintained?

The appropriate duration for maintaining security surveillance media is generally set at approximately 60 days, as this timeframe balances the practicality of storage with the need for potential retrieval of footage for investigations or review. Many facilities adopt this standard because a 60-day retention period allows enough time to review footage for compliance checks, incidents, or other inquiries while also managing storage limitations effectively.

In practice, a 60-day maintenance period ensures that all relevant footage is available for a sufficient duration to address typical scenarios that might arise, such as incidents occurring within the detention facility that require investigation or evidence retrieval. This standard helps maintain operational efficiency while ensuring that footage is not held for excessively long periods, which would require greater storage resources.