A comprehensive five-year study by the U.S. Sentencing Commission (USSC), covering fiscal years 2019 through 2023, provides the most detailed look yet at the persistent challenge of contraband within federal prisons.
The report, “QuickFacts: Special Edition,” analyzes 852 individuals sentenced for providing or possessing illegal items in secure correctional facilities, revealing critical insights into the types of contraband, how they enter, where they are found, and who is involved.
The findings underscore the complex nature of maintaining security in the nation’s carceral system, highlighting that contraband can range from illicit substances and dangerous weapons to prohibited items like cell phones that threaten facility integrity.
READ: Florida, Georgia, And Tennessee Lawmakers Eye Bill To Protect BOP Staff From Inmate Assault
The Most Common Threats
Almost one-half of the 852 cases involved cell phones (47.8%), about one-third included drugs (34.7%), and about one-quarter included weapons (24.9%). It’s important to note that individuals often possessed multiple types of contraband. Beyond these primary threats, secondary items like alcohol, tobacco, electronic charging equipment and accessories, and tools were also found.
Weapons were overwhelmingly homemade within the prison (97.4%), primarily consisting of shanks (89.2%) and blades (7.5%). These are often makeshift knives or sharpened objects, like toothbrushes, transformed into dangerous implements.
For contraband originating outside the prison, visitation was the most common smuggling method, involved in almost 20% of cases. This was followed by contraband sent through mail or brought in by a correctional officer or other prison employee.
- Cell phones were most frequently smuggled in by correctional officers and other prison employees (38.6%). Another 21% were smuggled over or through the prison fence, and 10% came in during a visitation.
- Drugs were primarily introduced through visitation (38.3%) and mail (23.3%). Notably, buprenorphine was often smuggled via mail due to its ease of concealment in letters or between stamps and envelopes. Correctional officers and other prison employees were responsible for 18% of drug smuggling incidents.
READ: Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley Calls For Doubled Prison Sentences For Flag Burning During Riots
Discovery Methods and Locations
Contraband was predominantly found within the secure areas of facilities, meaning areas accessible only to incarcerated individuals, correctional officers, and other prison employees.
This was true for 99.5% of weapons, 89.3% of cell phones, and 67.6% of drugs. Other discovery locations included the visitation room (27% for drugs), the prison lobby, and less commonly, visitors’ cars on property, just outside facility walls, or off-site mail processing facilities.
The methods of discovery varied:
- Physical searches of the person’s body (e.g., pat-downs) accounted for almost one-third of all contraband discoveries and were particularly effective for weapons (53.0%).
- Surveillance tools (e.g., video surveillance, call monitoring, body scanners) were crucial, leading to the discovery of 27.6% of drugs and 21.4% of cell phones.
- When surveillance was used, video surveillance was the most used tool for all types of contraband (51.3% of surveillance-aided discoveries). Telephone call surveillance accounted for about one-third, and body scanners for 14%.
- In 16% of cases, a correctional officer witnessed the contraband (e.g., observing a pass during visitation).
- Other common discovery methods included tips from staff or incarcerated individuals, routine cell and mail searches, or larger investigations.
READ: Georgia Rep. MTG Calls For Prayers Amid Israel-Iran War, Effort Seeks To Curb U.S. Involvement
Contraband was most often found in low- and medium-security Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) facilities: 83.8% of cell phones, 59.3% of drugs, and 53.3% of weapons.
However, high-security facilities accounted for 25.9% of weapon contraband. Beyond FBOP facilities, local jails (about 6%) and private or state prisons (about 5%) also reported contraband cases. Fewer than 5% occurred in other specialized BOP facilities or federal facilities managed by agencies like ICE or the U.S. Marshals Service.
The Landscape of Drug Contraband
The report provided a detailed breakdown of drug types seized: Buprenorphine (suboxone) topped the list at 47.6% (commonly used to treat opioid addiction but contraband in prisons), followed by marijuana (40.9%), methamphetamine (21.6%), opioids (13.2%), cocaine (4.1%), and fentanyl (3.0%). The “Other” category constituted 5.7%.
Demographics and Criminal Histories of Offenders
The study also shed light on the characteristics of individuals sentenced for contraband offenses:
- Gender: Males comprised the vast majority across all contraband types: 96.1% for cell phones, 75.0% for drugs, and 100.0% for weapons.
- Race:
- Black individuals represented the largest group across all contraband types: 58.9% for cell phones, 43.4% for drugs, and 49.3% for weapons.
- White individuals accounted for 20.9% (cell phones), 27.8% (drugs), and 15.2% (weapons).
- Hispanic individuals made up 19.1% (cell phones), 26.4% (drugs), and 31.8% (weapons).
- “Other” racial categories comprised 1.0% (cell phones), 2.4% (drugs), and 3.8% (weapons).
- Average Age: The average age of individuals sentenced was 39 years old for cell phone offenses, 37 for drug offenses, and 34 for weapon offenses. The overall average age for all contraband offenders was 38 years old.
- Criminal History: Individuals involved in weapon contraband offenses generally had significantly higher criminal history scores, with 41.5% assigned to the highest Criminal History Category (CHC VI). Over 80% of individuals sentenced for weapons were in CHC IV through VI. In contrast, 23.0% of individuals sentenced for drug contraband offenses had little to no prior criminal history (CHC I), and almost two-thirds of all offenders had a criminal history category of four through six.
Sentencing and Trends
The average sentence for prison contraband offenses across all types was 11 months. However, sentences varied significantly based on the type of contraband:
- Individuals caught with weapons received the highest average sentence of 20 months.
- Drug-related offenses averaged 16 months.
- Cell phone offenses resulted in an average sentence of 5 months.
The position of the sentence relative to the guideline range also varied. 80.4% of cell phone sentences fell within the guideline range. In comparison, individuals sentenced for drugs were below the range in 41.4% of cases, and weapon offenses were below the range in 50.0% of cases. Sentences above the guideline range were infrequent across all contraband types.
This comprehensive report offers invaluable data for policymakers and prison administrators working to combat contraband and enhance safety within federal correctional facilities. For an in-depth analysis of this topic, the full report and video transcript are available on www.ussc.gov.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
