Countering the Emerging Drone Threat to Correctional Security

• Published in: Policy File 2024
• Main Authors: Russo, Joe, Woods, Dulani, Vermeer, Michael J D, Jackson, Brian A
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Subjects: Correctional institutions; Crime; Drones; Prisons; Technology

Drones represent a serious emerging threat to the safety and security of correctional institutions across the United States. Conspirators are using drones to introduce various contraband, such as drugs and cell phones, into correctional institutions. In some cases, drones have been used to deliver weapons and tools to facilitate escape. Contraband trafficking in correctional institutions is highly lucrative, and drones can be an effective and relatively low-risk method of introducing large quantities in a single flight. For example, it can be challenging for a correctional institution to detect a drone entering its airspace. If a drone is detected, it can be difficult for the institution to respond quickly enough that any contraband dropped is intercepted before it reaches the incarcerated population. Furthermore, while there are examples of successful prosecutions, it is often challenging to hold conspirators accountable. Practical and legal restrictions prohibit neutralizing or actively defeating drones; therefore, a multilayered approach combining drone detection technologies, core correctional practices, forensics and other investigative techniques, and partnerships with law enforcement at the state and federal levels is currently the most effective way to address this threat. This report presents findings and recommendations from a workshop held to explore key needs that must be met to better address the drone threat. The findings are pertinent to a wide audience, including justice-system stakeholders, correctional practitioners, technology developers, and researchers.