Corrections_Today_Fall_2024_Vol.86_No.3

How drones and counter-drone technology is creating collaboration between prisons and local law enforcement The use of drone fleets and multi-layered counter drone sensor solutions has also fostered unprecedented collaboration between correctional facilities and local law enforcement agencies. The team at SCDOC actively collaborates with local police by engaging in real-time data sharing through its counter-drone solution to effectively mitigate drone con traband drops and apprehend drone operators. Because local law enforcement gets the same real time notifications as the prison does regarding drone contraband drops, prison security operators are able to focus on contraband interception inside the prison walls while local law enforcement can hone in on apprehend ing the pilot on the other side of the fence. This kind of collaboration allows both agencies to put their best foot forward and allocate their resources where they are most effective. This results in a win-win situation — securing the prison perimeter from all vantage points, while also bringing operators to justice. “The key takeaway here is that an effective perimeter surveillance system, and certainly one that includes the need for detecting and tracking drones, requires a multi-sensor, layered solution to get the job done.” However, the collaboration doesn’t end with contra band drops. The SCDOC team is eager to use its drone fleet to help local law enforcement solve different kinds of crime. Instead of just protecting the prison facilities, a top priority is to help local law enforcement by us ing the drone fleet in ad hoc missions to facilitate more rapid and effective responses to everything from escape

attempts, riot containment, missing persons searches, facility emergencies (fires, floods, or natural disasters), and the mitigation of large crime organizations that oper ate both in and outside prison walls. As drones evolve, prison drone programs are a must and the technology stack must remain nimble As the struggle between security teams and contra band smugglers intensifies, prisons must stay vigilant and adaptable. The future might bring more sophis ticated threats, such as drones capable of delivering weapons or other high-risk payloads. Inmates and their cohorts on the outside will try every avenue to get ahead of prison security, and corrections departments must continue to explore every avenue to stay ahead. As we look to the future, it’s of the utmost impor tance that corrections departments continually assess new technology and strengthen their anti-drone pro grams and drone fleets. This is especially true in light of ongoing staffing issues in the nation’s corrections depart ments and the overall advancement and proliferation of drone technology in and outside the prison walls. This exploration into the use of drones in prisons underscores the complexities and the dual nature of technology as both a facilitator of crime and an instru ment of justice. As drones continue to evolve, so too must the strategies to harness their potential for good while mitigating their use for illicit purposes. CT

Joel Anderson is Deputy Director for Operations at the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDOC), overseeing South Carolina’s 21 prisons.

David Lewin, Regional Sales Manager, East of Echodyne. As Critical Infrastructure, RSM — East with Echodyne, David helps clients leverage 3D radar systems to detect unauthorized perimeter access whether ground targets or air targets (i.e. drones).

Fall 2024 | Corrections Today

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