Oklahoma Prisons Deploy Drone Detection to Stop Contraband

Oklahoma prisons are stepping up efforts to stop contraband from entering correctional facilities by deploying new drone detection technology designed to identify and track unmanned aircraft used to smuggle illegal items.

Drones Driving Contraband Into Prisons

State prison officials estimate nearly 6,000 contraband cellphones are seized every year inside Oklahoma correctional facilities. Many of those phones — along with drugs and other prohibited items — are delivered by drones flown from outside prison grounds.

How the New Detection System Works

The drone detection system alerts prison staff when a drone enters restricted airspace. Officials say it allows officers to respond quickly, intercept contraband before inmates retrieve it, and in some cases identify the location of the drone operator.

Why Cellphones Are a Serious Security Threat

Cellphones inside prisons enable criminal activity, intimidation, and coordination with people outside prison walls. Corrections officials say drones have become one of the fastest-growing contraband threats.

The state says the technology is already improving response times while remaining compliant with federal aviation laws.

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