Deschutes jail adds body scanner to find contraband

(Update: Adding cost, who goes through scanner, other details)

Over the past several months, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Adult Jail has been training and implementing the use of a body scanner into the jail to combat the illegal introduction of drugs and contraband into the facility, the agency said Friday.

We’ll have more about this new addition in our newscasts this evening. Here’s a statement released late Friday morning by Sgt. William Bailey:

Individuals that are booked into the jail at times will attempt to bring items into the jail that are either illegal, dangerous, or not permitted into our facility. Whether it’s tobacco, drugs, or weapons, inmates will do whatever it takes to get something in if they have an agenda to do so.

Much of this contraband comes in during the booking process, by inmates attempting to hide it in their mouth, clothing, stomach, and body cavities. It makes it very difficult for our correctional professionals to find it with normal pat searches and unclothed searches.

Sheriff L. Shane Nelson has spent the last three years working with the Oregon State Sheriffs’ Association (OSSA) to bring body scanners to Sheriff’s Offices across the State of Oregon.

The OSSA understands that contraband is a serious issue, and they wanted to take immediate action to find a solution to this important safety issue. Their hard work and dedication has allowed OSSA to negotiate a reduced price on the latest technology in body scanners from Smiths Detection.

Negotiations have not only reduced the price significantly, the cost of training, shipping, installation and support has been included with the purchase of this product.

Bailey explained that anyone housed in the jail now goes through the body scanner, but those who are booked but who meet release criteria without being lodged do not. The cost of the scanner was about $125,000.

Other jails that have also purchased body scanners under this opportunity include Lincoln and Yamhill counties, as well as NORCOR, or Northern Oregon Regional Correction Facility. NORCOR serves Wasco, Hood River, Sherman and Gilliam counties.

Drugs and contraband inside our correctional facility threatens the safety of the inmates, as well as the deputies supervising them. Drugs reach inmates in numerous ways -and correctional professionals are finding more illegal contraband coming into the jail with the inmates in light of the opioid epidemic.

For the safety of our inmates and correctional professionals, we are bringing this new technology in our jail to help combat the problem.

For more information about the body scanner being used, visit: https://www.smithsdetection.com/products/b-scan/

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Bailey said the cost of the scanner could be seen as far cheaper than the impacts, if certain items get into the jail.

” If you look at how much an overdose in the jail or a weapon would cost, this is a faction, ” he said. ” If we can reduce overdoses or deaths, it will pay for itself. ”

The scanner was installed about four months ago, and after training and implementation of policies, it’s been in full use for 6-8 weeks, he said.

” It has caught contraband, in terms of drugs — not any weapons, ” Bailey said. ” More often, we find that people are attempting to dispose or get rid of it prior to the scanner (search). ”

” Ultimately, the goal is to keep drugs and other dangerous items out of the facility, ” he said. ” It’s been a little eye-opening. ” Bailey did not have a figure on the volume or amount of found and confiscated drugs, but said ” it has helped us prevent quite a bit of controlled substance get into the facility. ”

While the scanner removes the need for a physical, internal inspection, inmates are still given a less-invasive but unclothed visual examination for other things, such as signs of communicable diseases. ” A body scanner won’t detect certain things on the skin, for example, ” he said.

Jail visitors don’t need to be scanned, as they don’t come into direct physical contact with inmates, Bailey explained.

Earlier this year, four people were charged with using the mail to smuggle Suboxone, a prescription drug used to treat opioid addition but also often abused. Bailey explained that they had steamed open the bottom of manila envelopes, concealed Suboxone strips into the glue and resealed them. ” At first sight, it looked like a plain old manila envelope, ” he said. ” Now, manila envelopes are not allowed into the facility. ”

” The criminal element will always try to find a way to beat the system, ” Bailey explained, adding that steps are taken ” if we learn of a way the system has been defeated, ” to prevent a recurrence.