Cell Phone Detection Canines for Contraband Interdiction in Correctional Settings

By John Shaffer

In an effort to combat contraband cell phones in correctional facilities, which have been found to challenge the safety and security of prisons and jails, correctional leaders and policymakers have employed a variety of technological and nontechnological strategies to find and remove these devices from their facilities. This practitioner-focused report examines one such contraband interdiction strategy: the use of cell phone detection canines (K9s). Historically, agencies have largely used K9s for perimeter patrol, crowd control, escapee apprehension, and drug detection in correctional settings, but more recently, agencies have trained K9s to detect contraband cell phones and other electronic storage devices.

Washington, DC: Urban Institute. 2024, 20pg