Corrections_Today_July_August_2019_Vol.84_No.4

Office of Correctional Health

Correctional Health perspectives

Combatting synthetic drugs in correctional settings series Part 2: Synthetic drug contraband in prisons

By Randy Shively, Ph.D., Deborah G. Schult, Ph.D., and John Caraway

Introduction With the rise of synthetic drug use in communities and in correctional environments, “creative” methods of introduction have increased, requir- ing staff to be ever more educated and prepared to respond. In the book, “The Art of the Con,” Gary Corne- lius warns that “Even experienced staff, who think nothing could get past them, can fall victim to the con games of offenders.” 1 Like other illicit drugs, some inmates could see synthetics as a commodity to sell in prisons. It is essential that line staff become educated on what synthetics look like and how they are brought into the prison. The more educated prison and jail staff can be, the less chance of drugs staying a systemic problem, and the quicker illegal drugs are intercepted. Contraband has been defined by the United States Code of Federal Regulations 28 CFR § 500.1 (h), as “material prohibited by law, or by regulation, or material that can

reasonably be expected to cause physical injury or adversely affect

the security, safety or good order of the institution.”

NC Dept of Public Safety via flickr (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/legalcode)

A tennis ball containing marijuana and eight packs of Suboxone is discovered between the inner and outer perimeter fences at a correctional institution.

80 — July/August 2019 Corrections Today