Stopping contraband drones at correctional facilities
Detect every approach, find the drop, find the pilot, and build the evidence, starting from realistic, reasonable requirements.
For: Corrections administrators, security chiefs, state DOC procurement
What the paper covers.
Drone drops are now the fastest-growing contraband route into prisons and jails. Federal prisons reported 479 drone incidents in 2024, up from 23 in 2018.
Drops happen at night, low and fast, and staff shortages mean few eyes on the yard. The paper covers detection options, requirement writing, design lessons from fielded systems and a phased program.
Source: DOJ and FBI testimony, as reported by Facilities Dive (2026).
Recommendations
- Detect every approach, not just known drones: pair Remote ID and RF with radar, and cue thermal cameras at night
- Turn every detection into a recovery: mark the drop point and send the pilot location to police
- Set realistic, reasonable requirements before you procure, and validate them with live drone flights
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