Staying ahead of contraband threats in correctional facilities is like a game of cat and mouse – new threats emerge, new technology solutions are implemented to combat them, and then the next wave of threats attempt to circumvent the equipment and processes newly put into place. This evolution requires a vigilant eye and means the screening solutions used must be able to be upgraded easily and quickly.
This attitude of “futureproofing” equipment must extend to multiple aspects of scanning technology to include threat and contraband detection, loss prevention and even worker screening. While baggage X-ray and millimeter wave on-person screening systems used in the aviation industry are trained on specific types of threats, items that would be benign on an airplane can be dangerous in a prison setting. Ensuring screening technology can accurately detect contraband like charging cables, miniature Bluetooth phones and batteries, for example, is essential. Here are three critical aspects to consider when implementing and maintaining a security screening solution:
1. Ease of technology upgrades
Both hardware and firmware are continuously evolving and being improved in screening systems to combat each new wave of contraband threats. The speed and success of a millimeter wave scanning system, like the modular design of the Quick Personnel Scanners (QPS) by Rohde & Schwarz, depends on its GPU processing, making it key to take advantage of the continuous improvements in technology.
As GPU processor technology improves, the hardware technology can be inserted into the platform. This enables the QPS scanner platform to take advantage of more powerful processing. The increased processing power can be used to increase the speed and throughput, or focus on generating higher-resolution detection to lower false alarm rates or detect more sensitive threats. In the event a threat alarm emerges on an initial scan, the system can operate to rescan the area in question quickly enough to maintain a highly efficient system with better resolution.
QPS scanners don’t only rely on GPU technology to perform effectively, as the firmware’s algorithm plays a critical role in contraband detection. As a private family owned 90-year-old company, Rohde & Schwarz has committed to a continuous investment in algorithm development so the screening system’s detection ability matches the needs of the corrections industry. Major revisions are released every couple of years. There are also dozens of operational security applications with fine-tuned detection capabilities that can be combined for specific needs. These revisions incorporate feedback from corrections professionals to ensure a tight focus remains on new contraband threats.
2. Reducing staffing needs using an open architecture interface (API)
Correctional facilities are busy and often understaffed, so any chance to have technology help to reduce skilled staffing should be taken advantage of. QPS scanners function using an open API, a system that allows for the integration of system technology enhancements. For example, automatic triggers allow staff to keep their focus on the person being scanned rather than on the mechanics of the scan itself.
“If you’re an inmate who is going through a scanner every day, we invented the hands-down scanning position as opposed to hands-up. This makes it a more comfortable position for your body and easy to remember for the scan to function correctly,” said Darren McCarthy, technical marketing manager at Rohde & Schwarz. “With automatic triggering, the system can self-detect if you’re in the right position, provide visual guidance if you are out of position, and then complete the scan without staff intervention – no one has to order you because the system gives instructions. This means the person operating the equipment doesn’t get distracted and take their eyes off of you.”
In some low-security settings, scanning systems can even be set up in an empty room with gates or doors that lock automatically, allowing inmates to enter alone and be routinely scanned via automatic triggers once they cross the system threshold. Where applicable, this can help reduce the immediate need for staff or allow for remote monitoring in an already short-staffed facility.
The open architecture can also enable the combination of millimeter wave screening and high-resolution walk-through metal detectors for increased scanning capabilities. Rohde & Schwarz has partnered with Garrett, a walk-through metal detector manufacturer, to develop a solution that works to detect very small or internally concealed metallic contraband.
Finally, remote server monitoring can also help streamline scanning processes and check for anomalies and statistics. If 30 inmates are successfully scanned before going outside into a facility yard, yet only 29 successful scans are conducted upon return, staff can instantly be alerted to the discrepancy.
3. Compliance with state regulations
X-ray scanning systems have long been used in correctional facilities, but many jails and prisons are steadily making the switch to other types of screening equipment. Growing concern around X-ray exposure has even led some states, including Oregon and Washington, to limit the annual dose levels and frequency of scans on inmates, especially juveniles. Depending on the number of scans an inmate is subjected to on a daily basis, the lower scanning power can reduce the effectiveness of the X-ray technology.
“Some states are looking at dosage levels over a cumulative period of time,” said McCarthy. “If you’re able to reduce the number of times people go through an X-ray scanner based on need or threat level by using an alternative technology such as millimeter wave, then you can optimize the instances when they do go through an X-ray while maintaining compliance with the cumulative dosage limits with more effective scanning power.”
Older X-ray screening systems may not be obsolete in every state, but in some instances, they have become nearly completely ineffective due to the lower dosage level settings and are investments that are now useless. As technology evolves, correctional facilities are exploring safer, more efficient options for screening that don’t carry the same health risks or regulatory complications.
By combining walk-through metal detectors and millimeter wave systems, which are both non-ionizing, daily inmate scanning can be completed safely and quickly. These systems are not only less intrusive but also easier to use for correctional staff, requiring minimal training and no scan interpretation while still offering a high level of threat detection. In high-volume facilities where hundreds of scans might occur each day, reducing reliance on ionizing radiation technology helps preserve inmate health while still maintaining a secure environment.
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