Drone Wars: How the Corrections Industry is Combatting a Rise in Aerial Threats
By Kat Balster
The battle for the skies is intensifying over correctional facilities across the nation. As drone technology advances, so must the methods to detect and counteract their growing role in contraband smuggling. Drones—more specifically, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)—have become a favored tool for criminals seeking to bypass traditional security measures and drop contraband within secure perimeters. UAVs are part of a broader Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), which includes the drone itself, ground control and communication links.
Photo Credit (all): AirSight
Despite the growing threat, accurate data on drone incursions remains elusive. One reason is the lack of a standard definition for what constitutes a drone-related incident. Vinko Kucinic, intelligence chief for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC), recalls the state’s first major drone incident in 2015 at the Mansfield Correctional Institution in Mansfield, Ohio.
“That was before we had any sort of formalized program to detect drones,” Kucinic said. The incident made national headlines when a contraband payload was intercepted by the wrong inmate, leading to a violent brawl in the prison yard. That same year, the Federal Bureau of Prisons recorded its first drone incident at a federal facility.
Now, a decade later, drone incursions have surged into regular occurrences at many institutions. Kucinic, who has spent over 30 years in Ohio corrections and law enforcement, simplifies the problem: Contraband enters in two ways—through the fence or over the fence. As criminals become more sophisticated, correctional security experts must stay one step ahead in this evolving arms race.
A Growing Threat
The accessibility and affordability of drones have fueled their rapid adoption by criminals. Drones are dangerous due to their affordability; advanced drones can be purchased for a few hundred dollars. Drones are discreet, are hard to see at night and are often mistaken for birds. They also eliminate much of the personal risk to the operator who can be an (ever increasing) distance away. The technology is constantly evolving, which means that for all of the positive applications of drone technology, and the increased usability, there are also increasing opportunities for people with criminal intent to try new tactics. Criminals are using dark drones—models with no radio frequency (RF) signals—as well as artificial intelligence (AI) assisted piloting and GPS waypoints to avoid detection.
“Drones are becoming larger, carrying greater payloads, are easier to operate, relatively inexpensive and smarter with the help of AI,” said Ashley Lear, vice president of sales for AirSight, a leading provider of airspace security software and solutions, specializing in drone detection and counter-drone technologies to protect correctional facilities and other critical infrastructure.
Legal Dilemmas with Drone Mitigation
“There are three types of drone pilots or drones we encounter over prison airspace, the three C’s,” Kucinic explained. “They are either clueless, careless or criminal.”
Despite the often criminal intent of drones, correctional facilities can’t simply shoot down or jam drones. Federal law classifies drones as aircraft, meaning any attempt to damage, disable or intercept them can result in charges of aircraft sabotage or piracy. This legal constraint has forced correctional agencies to focus on detection rather than active mitigation.
“There’s growing consensus on the need to expand counter-UAS authorities to state and local law enforcement,” said Jeff Newell, president of Paragon Analysis, who frequently consults on the application of counter-UAS solutions. “Corrections has the most acute need for mitigation authority. However, their voice is underrepresented, and they don’t always get the priority they deserve.”
Noting that they can’t just shoot a drone out of the sky—even when they suspect it has criminal intent.
Read the full article, published in the March/April edition of Correctional News, to learn more about a layered defense strategy for mitigation, the human factor and the future of drone defense in prison.