Full-Body scanner aims to improve safety at Lowndes County Jail
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office is cracking down on contraband within the jail with the installation of new technology in the facility.
From county jails to state prisons, officers always have to be on the lookout for contraband. That includes any item that inmates aren’t permitted to have or that’s not allowed in the facility.
Over the years, it has even been an issue in the Lowndes County Jail.
“We’ve had contraband that’s been snuck into the jail and made its way to the inmates that are already incarcerated, and then we have a problem with people using narcotics or razor blades or weapons that are smuggled into the jail,” said Lowndes County Sheriff Eddie Hawkins.
When people are arrested, they are searched, but some can get creative with hiding items. Now, the Sheriff’s Office has some advanced technology to help deputies and jailers.
Before entering the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center, arrestees must walk through a full-body scanner, which uses X-ray technology.
“It’s kind of like the same device you would see at an airport when you walk through a screening to get on an airplane,” Hawkins said. “The full body scanner will do just that. It will scan everything in the body to make sure there is no contraband or concealed items going into the facility.”
The machine has two different angles that capture the image and turn it into a 3D image, allowing the department to see anything on the person.
Lowndes County Sheriff Eddie Hawkins says the machine has advanced features to change the definition of the image, allowing the department to see things more clearly and highlight concealed items.
“A lot of times, we will tell them before they walk into the building, ‘Look, we have an X-ray machine that is going to scan your body. If you have anything concealed, now is the time to let us know.’ A lot of times, they will go ahead and give up the item before they ever walk into the building,” Hawkins said. “If we cannot remove that item from that person, then we can take them to the hospital and have it medically removed by a physician at the hospital.”
Hawkins says the purpose is to make the jail safer for everyone and protect the inmates.
He says the scanner has already been successful in catching contraband before it gets into the jail.
The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of the body scanner for the jail. The $200,000 cost was paid for by ARPA funds.
