Drones Are Being Used To Deliver Contraband In Prisons

Prisoners are using drones to cut out any middleman like a corrupt prison staff member and are now delivering contraband straight from the outside themselves reports Walter Pavlo for Forbes.

In May 2022, Bryant Leray Henderson flew a drone from the parking lot of O.D. Wyatt High School in Fort Worth, Texas and strapped four 10-inch by 11-inch packages on to the undercarriage of a DJI Inspire 2 Model T650A drone of a drone with Methamphetamine, cellular telephones, MP3 players and pressed THC.

Henderson flew the contraband to FMC Ft. Worth, one of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) six medical centers but crashed the drone when inside prison ground.

Officers recovered the drone with all flight record and logs. Henderson was arrested in August 2022 and pleaded guilty in October and is currently awaiting sentencing.

“Contraband drone deliveries are quickly becoming the bane of prison officials’ existence. Illicit goods pose a threat to guards and inmates alike – and when it comes to cell phones, the threat often extends outside prison walls. We are determined to stop this trend in its tracks,”  said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham.

Drones can also surveil institutions, facilitate escape attempts, or transport explosives. The Bureau of Prison Operations (BOP) faces growing challenges to protect facilities from drone threats and a shortage of staff to track and intercept drones.

Among the most vulnerable to drones are facilities where prisoners usually go out in the community like federal prison camps and minimum security facilities.