Category: Body Scanners

Contraband detection remains an ongoing threat to institutional security, requiring more advanced detection techniques as time goes on.

As types of contraband have fluctuated, as well as the ways in which it has been brought into different facilities, contraband detection body scanners are becoming the preferred method for finding more of it.

Still, this technology is imperfect, and undergoing continuous development to make it more capable and reliable.

Correctional facilities and other institutions therefore face a never-ending issue of how to more accurately detect contraband in these settings in a way that is safe, efficient, ethical, and humane.

Types of Contraband

One of the main variables in contraband detection, and a factor that strongly supports the use of advanced contraband detection body scanners, is the types of contraband being brought in.

Drugs and weapons have always been a primary focus in the detection of contraband, but cell phones and other devices are becoming a higher priority as well.

There was a time when cell phones were not considered contraband, but as they are now so easily used in illegal ways, having the ability to detect them quickly is essential.

Cell phones pose a notable threat today, to the point of there existing a black market for them in many correctional facilities as they are frequently used to plan acts of violence against witnesses on the outside.

Contraband Will Always Exist

Contraband, in whatever form, has existed for as long as correctional facilities have, and it will continue to exist, eternally.

This alone guarantees that the effort to detect it will be ongoing and evolving as the contraband itself changes, and the ways in which it is brought in become more ingenious.

But with more advanced, and dangerous items like cell phones coming in, the need for faster, and more accurate screening using body scanning technology grows.

With drug detection always difficult and the importance of keeping cell phones out of institutions, the requirement to use better detection methods is paramount.

Ongoing Need for Contraband Detection Body Scanners

Contraband detection body scanners are a valuable tool in the endless effort to detect contraband of all kinds.

With advanced models now able to differentiate between organic and inorganic materials, body parts, and other specifics, finding drugs, cell phones, weapons, and any other forbidden items is becoming easier.

Of course, this does require a considerable investment in body scanning technology, but the studies on their effectiveness prove their efficacy.

As long as there is contraband and it gets harder to detect as new items are added to the list, the best way to do it remains to be using evolving technology like detection body scanners.

Body scanning is the most effective means of detecting and confiscating contraband to keep prisons safe.

What cannot pass through the doors cannot cause any harm; however, the technology in full body scanners continues to change, begging the question: how many prisons are still unsafe, either due to their use of outdated technology or because they don’t use body scanners at all?

While any body scanner is better than no scanner at all, safely and quickly detecting contraband like drugs and weapons continues to be an issue for prisons.

For many facilities, the answer may lie in upgrading to more advanced body scanning machines.

What Are The Concerns With Body Scanning?

Safe body scanning in prisons is a 3-pronged concern.

Safety from accurate detection of contraband is the main focus, but there are other factors that must be considered as well.

The safety of security staff while operating full body scanners and performing security screening is also a concern that facilities must factor in, as is the safety of those walking through the scanners with respect to radiation amounts.

Scanning speed and accuracy also remain a safety concern with some older technology.

Recent Versions Address These Concerns

Fortunately, recent advancements in full body scanner technology address all of these issues.

Improved technology that delivers only miniscule, safe doses of radiation even at their highest power are available, increasing safety for security personnel operating the machines, along with those passing through the scanners repeatedly.

More importantly, advanced scanners that can now differentiate between physical materials of all kinds including drugs and paper currency, versus what are parts of the human body, provide even greater safety.

Using New Scanners Has Reduced Contraband

With greater scanning and detection capabilities from newer, state-of-the-art body scanners including sophisticated systems that automatically warn operators about areas of suspicion that cannot be identified, prisons using these machines have experienced dramatic reductions in contraband still passing through security points.

Greater accuracy and a lesser need to do physical searches provides greater safety for security personnel, as well.

Is It Time For Your Facility To Upgrade Your Scanners?

Ultimately, with the availability of this safer and more accurate technology, prison facilities should question whether their current scanners are doing a good enough job at detecting contraband and preventing safety issues or if there is room for improvement.

If the answer is the latter, it may be time to address upgrading to more advanced body scanners, especially in facilities where the type of contraband getting in presents significant safety concerns to both inmates and employees.