ILLEGAL CONTRABAND IN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES

Illegal Contraband In Correctional Facilities

Illegal Contraband In Correctional Facilities

Contraband in prisons, which includes drugs, weapons, and other items, creates a dangerous environment for officers and inmates alike (Stover 2001). If caught bringing illegal contraband into a prison, a visitor may be detained, arrested, and possibly prosecuted. Visitation may, obviously, also be curtailed or terminated in an emergency. For this reason, under Florida law it is a felony to introduce into or upon the grounds of any state correctional institution any:

written or recorded communication or any currency or coin given or transmitted, or intended to be given or transmitted, to any inmate of any state correctional institution;

article of food or clothing given or transmitted, or intended to be given or transmitted, to any inmate of any state correctional institution;

intoxicating beverage or beverage which causes or may cause an intoxicating effect;

controlled substance as defined in s. 893.02(4), Florida Statutes, or any prescription or non-prescription drug having a hypnotic, stimulating, or depressing effect; or

firearm or weapon of any kind or any explosive substance.

In addition to state law, department regulations prohibit cell phones, certain types of cigarette lighters, lotions with alcohol, unidentified pills and powders, and excess money and medications from being taken into prisons. These items, while not illegal, can be used for illegal purposes. (Paula 2004)

Nationwide and in Florida, contraband is a long-standing problem in prisons. During Fiscal Year 2006-07, the department recovered from its prisons:

222.7 oz. of marijuana;

9.8 oz. of cocaine;

1,805 unauthorized and/or unidentified pills;

140 inmate cell phones; and

approximately 3,500 assorted makeshift weapons.

Contraband enters prisons through a variety of ways. For example, inmate work squads that leave the prisons to pick up litter and garbage on the side of the roads can return with contraband that was concealed in roadside trash by an accomplice. Contraband can also enter prisons through the mail or prison deliveries, and can be brought into prison by employees or visitors. (Stover 2001)

The Florida Department of Corrections compares favorably to other states' corrections agencies in employing a wide range of methods to prevent and detect contraband. However, the Legislature may wish to classify cell phones as illegal contraband to address the growing risk these phones pose to the correctional system and Florida's citizens. The department's ability to combat contraband would also be strengthened by improving its management information system that currently underreports contraband, and by providing better training for prison staff in resisting inmate manipulation for contraband. Also, the department's efforts would be improved by establishing uniform guidelines for sanctioning visitors who violate the department's contraband policies. (Diiulio 2008)

The department engages in a variety of ongoing efforts to detect and control contraband in the state's prisons. These efforts range from routine pat searches to extensive sweeps of institutions during which correction officers search all cells for contraband items. Many of these efforts exceed those used by other states and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Florida is the only state to pat search its uniformed ...