BRADFORD COUNTY, Fla. – Authorities are using technology to prevent the smuggling of contraband into the Bradford County jail.
The body scanner at the jail was recently used to find a needle that was hidden inside a woman as she was booked.
Here’s how the search process works.
Once inside the sallyport, the suspect is taken out of handcuffs. They are patted down and put through a body scanner to look for sharp objects.
Bradford County Sheriff’s Office Major Dawn McKinley says this scanner improves the safety of inmates and officers.
“It discourages them from even trying to get anything in,” McKinley said.
Officers booking a young woman into the jail this week discovered a needle inside her genitalia.
The Sheriff’s Office said the scanner shows everything that is metal, like rivets in pants, rings and even fillings.
Contraband is found often.
“All the time. It depends, it can go from knives, to drugs, to pennies in their pocket,” said Paul Moody, Bradford County Sheriff’s Office Correctional Deputy.
McKinley said it is a felony to bring any contraband into the jail.
“If [the needle] was found in her vehicle, at the time of her arrest, it more than likely would have been a misdemeanor paraphernalia charge, but now she has introduced it into the correctional facility and now it’s a felony,” McKinley said.
This technology is used at high-level security needs at other lock-up facilities, airports, border crossings and government buildings.
The Clay County jail also installed its first body scanner in November.