Sunday, June 8, 2014

Unmanned Drones Being Used to Smuggle Drugs into Prisons

Officials at the Kansas State Penitentiary were surprised recently by the number and variety of drugs being seized during standard prison sweeps for contraband.  Heroin and marijuana are traditionally in high demand in a prison but the sweeps were revealing psychedelics and other designer drugs which are usually wanted only by a more sophisticated clientele.

Warden Smithers interviewed one of the prisoners to try to find out how the drugs were getting into the prison but all he was told was it's 'a DOC thing.'  The expression covers anything ex-prisoners will do for their brothers still inside, it's a Department Of Corrections thing.  It also means the prisoner does not know or will not tell the identity of the ex-prisoner.

After an offer of time off and other compensation, the prisoner revealed that unmanned drone aircraft fly the drugs into the prison at night.  With their night-vision video, the operator can fly the drone right to the prisoner's cell and the drone is so quiet that almost no-one will hear it.  When asked how the deals are arranged, the prisoner said they use cellphones.  There are three things you can find anywhere in prison:  sex, drugs and cellphones.

Smithers went to the Kansas Statehouse to ask for a solution and gave a particularly moving appeal that concluded when he said, "my jail is not for taking acid trips!"

A $4.8 million dollar grant was authorized for prison system purchase of anti-drone drones which will fly about the prison to detect other drones and shoot them down.  The system will be operational in the third quarter of 2014 and Warden Smithers expects to see a substantial drop in the amount of contraband in the prison after that date.

The warden was asked about what his response might be to anti-drone killer drones that would fly about shooting down the anti-drone drones.  His response was that he will be happy to go back to the Kansas Statehouse for additional funding for SAM missiles and other appropriate weaponry.  He ended with what has now became his battle cry, "my jail is not for taking acid trips."

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