Prison Ion Drug Scanners - Experiences Needed!

[444life]

The ion scanner is a joke, it is used in most of the bc prisons, provincial and federal. Of course these things are such bullshit, I once rang for heroin, never touched the stuff, and my mother rang for cocaine or something like that. I have heard there was a study done that the substance that a person rings for, was only a delayed reading from 5 people before.. Apperently it takes that long for the scanner to read... I dont know.. I do know that as long as you wash your money, your keys, your car, and seatbelt, all your clothes, and carry a wet soapy cloth-and don't touch anything, or anyone--especially money-you should be fine!!

[DugBundy]

Never heard of these machines, the only drug testing they do is sometimes make me stand on a red dot and get sniffer-dogged...

[AshleyLovesMike]

Does anyone know if they have these machines in CT prisons?

[Dylmopriv]

They shouldn't have them in any prisons anymore... after lawsuits, they have found out that the things don't work. They don't use them in the feds anymore I know.

[SEXY127]

Hi i was in greenhaven in new york and they have it there. Now i goto eastern in ny and they have it there. They call me 4 that machine 3times and i was cool but i saw sum people that had 2 leave cause they came up 4 cocain. And they dont even use drugs. But they pick and choose who they want to go on that machine and its wrong.it's very aggravating to go through this every week or 2 weeks but hey what can u do u in they house wit they rules. What prison do u goto?

Originally Posted by morrigan68

i would like to hear from those who have had experience in dealing with prisons that have the drug scanning machines. This is for an article for con-tact news. Please post any personal experiences you have had, or have seen, regarding these machines. I know they aren't in all prisons in all states, so please post the state your experience was in also.

Thanks!

[luvslife]

Just a question still waiting to find out when my visit will be. Wonderintg if i ingested a narcotic will it show up in the ion scan and if so does anyone know how long till the narcotic would be outta my system.

[PTO-92958]

~luvslife~
I have been using Darvocet and Lortab for 8 years for a back condition...ingesting narcotics is not the problem, having the residue on your hands, shoes or pockets could be a problem. Thoroughly wash your hands, and use sanitizer if you deem necessary. Make sure there can be no residue on the top of your shoes or around your pockets.

[spacecase77]

I think it you sweat and touch items (like pockets etc) it can show up.

[Lonelybutinlove]

They use these scanners in Ontario Canada prisons only not randomly they do it on every visitor. They take an item from you which varies, so far I have had glasses, ring, jacket, drivers license and shoe and the only time I had an issue was with my drivers license. When they tested it they asked if I was on any prescription medication and I said no but that has been in my purse and I may have had something in there, he looked it up and said it was likely just from Tylenol 3's if I had taken them recently which I had. He then let me go ahead in for my visit with no further questions asked. It seems that our prisons are a little more relaxed in Canada than in the US although I guess it varies from prison to prison.

[PrettyBluLuv]

Well my hubby is in Rikers Island, New York (jail) right now... When he was in the first building there I never got tested but my mother in law did... The guard said that they only tested the first 20 visitors who come in that beep going through the metal detector...

Now he is in a different building... First time I visited him there (mind you it was soooo very dirty in that building compared to the old one) I was negative... Fine... Second time I got tested there was a girl in front of me who got tested and was positive... They told her to wash her hands and the area of clothes they scanned... Came back and was positive again... I didn't judge, I just felt sad because they took her ID and made a copy of it and told her she could only have a booth visit... Then it was my turn... Guess who was positive... They told me to wash and while I was SCRUBBING the crap out of my hands and pockets I started crying my eyes out because Im like if their machine is messed up and I fail again and I have to go in that booth I will be way too pissed... I don't do drugs, don't play with explosives and the only thing I touched was stuff in their facility because I had washed my hands in the main building before going to his... I took the test again and came back negative... The CO asked me with a very stank attitude why I was crying... I couldn't even talk right I was so upset and all I could say was that it made no sense... I had already had to deal with my husband in that booth in the other building for not being able to pee when they did a pee test... I was not trying to do that again for something I KNOW I wasn't trying to sneak in...

Now I make sure to wash my hands like crazy and paint my nails and stuff before taking my shower the night before and then scrubbing like crazy again the next morning... I take my meds, even eat breakfast if Im going to eat before I take my shower so there should be no way I should have anything on me from ME... But I take public transportation and EVERYTHING it dirty and NYC is crowded as hell... You have no choice but to rub up against someone sometimes... I think because of that I am starting to become a germaphobe because I start to literally freak if the train or bus starts to get crowded... Even if I just came from seeing him... I can't detect which part of clothes they are going to test so I can't wash that when Im there... I also don't think they will willingly test that nice big wetspot on my clothes even if I did know where they were going to test...

Although I want to vomit just thinking about it but I would rather be searched then be subjected to that dumb a*s test...

[Su Corazon]

Hi all. I drove from New Jersey to USP Big Sandy in October 2007 to see my brother in law - a 12 hour drive. I take real Sudafed (not the one that says PE - the one you take behind the counter that has "D" after the name of the drug Mucinex - D) for my allergies which I had to take since the prison is high up in the sandy mountains. I came up positive for methamphetemine because the drug in the "D" psuedophedrine is a methamphetamine. My hands were clean cause I washed them after but my jean pockets showed cause remember after we handle things we usually put our hands in our pockets. I could not get in. Even though I showed them the box of the drug, authorized them to physically search, they would not let me in and I could not go in for 48 hours. I drove 12 hours, paid a hotel for the night and had to drive 12 hours back without seeing my brother in law. I had his 13 years old son with me who could not go in alone. So he did not see his father. Now I heard that they were removed because of the false positives. Oh, handling money can make them go off because drugs are held sometimes in money and carried in money.

[Jan1]

They will do anything in North FL to prevent visits. I do not deal with the drug scanners but the officers have chips on their shoulders and put fake charges then drop them after I start getting the people in Tallahasse involved. Maybe it was an error. Maybe it is the Bush Administration saying "it only happened to 3 people!"

Originally Posted by downchick

I have experience with drug scanners. My boyfriend is located in a federal low secruity insitution. They scan you randomly of course. Well, one Saturday I drove an hour and half to see him. I waited in the lobby for another hour just to have my name called. By the time I got up to the area to be escorted back I was the lucky one to be tested for drugs. The correctional officer scanned my hands and my pockets on my jeans. The first test came out positive. Then she did it again and it beeped. She explained that I couldn't visit for forty eight hours. I was outraged because I knew that I had surgery about four months ago and I was on medication and when I was tested I would never come up positive for anything. So I waited around to talk to the lieutanant because I knew that I hadn't come in contact with any drugs or trying to sneak any type of drugs in the bacl. By the way I tested positive for morphine. I wasn't the only one that test positive for this drug. After talking with the lieutanant I knew that it was a waste of my time. So I drove all the way back home in tears because I was disgusted. By the time I reached home my boyfriend called me to tell me that the machine was broke. Everyone that was tested that day came up positive for morphine. I was pissed. He asked me to come back the next day, but I was too pissed.
The next time I visited I bumped into a lady that was there that day. She said that she tried to run out and catch me because they discovered that the machine was malfunctioning.
I think those machines aren't always accurate. Nothing is accurate 100% when dealing with computers. I just think it's sad that others that have been sneaking drugs in or drug users have made it bad for people like me. I understand that the prison have rules, but it makes it hard for people like me. It's embarrassing and at the same time discouraging.
This happen in the state of Texas.

[fineline]

Originally Posted by TheWifey

Hi all. I drove from New Jersey to USP Big Sandy in October 2007 to see my brother in law - a 12 hour drive. I take real Sudafed (not the one that says PE - the one you take behind the counter that has "D" after the name of the drug Mucinex - D) for my allergies which I had to take since the prison is high up in the sandy mountains. I came up positive for methamphetemine because the drug in the "D" psuedophedrine is a methamphetamine. My hands were clean cause I washed them after but my jean pockets showed cause remember after we handle things we usually put our hands in our pockets. I could not get in. Even though I showed them the box of the drug, authorized them to physically search, they would not let me in and I could not go in for 48 hours. I drove 12 hours, paid a hotel for the night and had to drive 12 hours back without seeing my brother in law. I had his 13 years old son with me who could not go in alone. So he did not see his father. Now I heard that they were removed because of the false positives. Oh, handling money can make them go off because drugs are held sometimes in money and carried in money.

Oh ... I feel for you!!! and your nephew. The system has huge errors, multiple false positives as well. I have not come up positive for contact yet but my son in-law has and we do not do any type of drugs... it was a horrible experience for all of us. I was also concerned because a note goes on the inmates file that a visitor has tested positive for contact of drugs.

I have done some research and spoke with the visitation dept manager on policy and procedures... contacted the warden of the institution to provide constructive criticism. Changes are needed.

[Seeka416]

June 7th was my third time visiting my bf/sons father in Bare Hill Correctional (in NY). After I checked in, made it through the metal detectors and was just waiting for the doors to open to go in, I was "randomly" selected for the drug swab. They took my to a back room, swabbed the backs and palms of my hands, and the top of my jean pockets. They copied down info from my license, ran the swab through the machine, then led me back out to the room I started in. I went right in and visited with no further problems. It wasnt a big deal but it did hold me up for an additional 5 minutes and after a 3 hour drive, 5 minutes is quite annoying.

[Seeka416]

ya know whats really screwed up?? They copy down the info from your license... you would think if you pass the test they'd keep track of that info and leave you alone for a while..

[make475]

Originally Posted by Morrigan68

I would like to hear from those who have had experience in dealing with prisons that have the drug scanning machines. This is for an article for Con-Tact News. Please post any personal experiences you have had, or have seen, regarding these machines. I know they aren't in all prisons in all states, so please post the state your experience was in also.

Thanks!

I spent three years in Lawton Correctional Center in Oklahoma and they use these devices. I can't count the numerous occasions when people's family I knew would be turned away for no reason at all, while many other people I knew had their visitor's carrying dope in for them and never had a problem. I have aslo seen someone rumored to be bringing dope into the prison have this used as reason to turn them away at visit even when they didn't have anything. Seems like a big scam to me.

[UserNamesRCrazy]

Yay ... one more way to HOPEFULLY stop visitors from smuggling in drugs to the prisons ... I hope they scan the CO's too!

Originally Posted by Morrigan68

I would like to hear from those who have had experience in dealing with prisons that have the drug scanning machines. This is for an article for Con-Tact News. Please post any personal experiences you have had, or have seen, regarding these machines. I know they aren't in all prisons in all states, so please post the state your experience was in also.

Thanks!

[sleeples]

does weed show up?? does that even count as drugs?

[friend26]

Originally Posted by make475

I spent three years in Lawton Correctional Center in Oklahoma and they use these devices. I can't count the numerous occasions when people's family I knew would be turned away for no reason at all, while many other people I knew had their visitor's carrying dope in for them and never had a problem. I have aslo seen someone rumored to be bringing dope into the prison have this used as reason to turn them away at visit even when they didn't have anything. Seems like a big scam to me.

I was one of those people who was turned away at Lawton a few years ago. His dad had made the facility mad, he called them on the line for not transferring his son to a minimum when he was elgible for many months. So I was the first one after all of this to show up for a visit and they promptly send me home....I was so mad.....my drive was 3 plus hours one way...I was not a happy camper. Then by the next week he was transferred to a minimum.....go figure..

[glieming4ever]

Originally Posted by Morrigan68

I would like to hear from those who have had experience in dealing with prisons that have the drug scanning machines. This is for an article for Con-Tact News. Please post any personal experiences you have had, or have seen, regarding these machines. I know they aren't in all prisons in all states, so please post the state your experience was in also.

Thanks!

my name is jen and i have failed the test three times and no I dont do drugs, I live in pa and i have done everything possible to get the oils out of my hands. My last visit was the best i usually go for two visits in a row saturday and sunday well saturday i passed had a great visit went to red lobster to eat afterwards then macy's then the hotel. slept like a baby got up the next morning showered ate a continental breakfast and went to sci fayett. I changed my money the day before so I didnt have to deal with all the germs on money, i get to the prison have a cig before i go in and pass the metal detector but managed to fail the scanning. being this was my third time i was suspended for six months. point I passed one day and failed the very next day. I even wrote the superentendent but he didnt care. I went online and found that the accuracy rate is 91% inaccurate and yet they still use it.

[yromero]

I went to visit my hubby at Mt. Mc Gregor Correctional Facility, after the registration process one of the c.o.'s had the paper in which I filled out and asked me to follow him into another room. At first I was puzzled because this had never happened to me before but I remained calm and asked what was going on, I was told that I had been selected to take an ion scan in order to see if I had been in contact with any narcotics. I asked the c.o. how was this process determined and he explained to me that upon registration there is a number given to you on the right hand side of the paper and that number is randomly selected by the c.o.'s, if you have that number then you are selected to take the ion scan. I was calm and obidient even though I felt a little offended because I was with my 2 yr old and I had to go through a lot to get there to the facility, but I didn't want my visit to get rejected for not cooperating. I was told to take a seat and there were about 5 c.o.'s standing there, one was behind the desk where the ion machine was and the other one performed the ion scan while the other 3 observed. The c.o. told me to stand and he had taken like a plastic tong and placed a cotton looking swab inside, he then passed them over the palms of my hands, my fingers, my pockets and on the tounge of my sneakers and the bottom of my sneakers. He then placed it into the machine and told me that I was good to go because the machine didn't beep. I think this machine is dumb honestly because most facilities are dirty and if you were to touch money or anything else that can be contaminated it can come up dirty. In my opinion it is always good to wash your hands or carry with a hand sanitizer just in case, it can help.

[Al'swife2012]

Well i only was scanned once. It was my very first visit and i was already nervous. i was one of the first ones there. They scanned everyone, hands and pockets. it was like a vacuum. once i "cleared" i waited on the line for the metal detector. Once through the metal detector, i stood in line to be sniffed by the dogs. It was a crazy time just trying to get in there for my first visit. A girl that i was talking to said that they never did that before and she has been come up there for about 2 years.
That happened almost a year ago and they havent did it since.

[slh1967]

I just returned from FCI Pekin and I visited all day for the 3 days. I had heard of troble with the scanners and I prepared myself. I went to the bank and got brand new $1 bills and put them in a plastic bag to make sure the money didn't have anything on it. I did not wear perfume. I made sure my clothse did not touch anything outside my suit case at the hotel. I wiped my shoes down with alchohol before I left and I took alcohol swabs with me and wiped down my hands before I went in. I found that they were not checking everyone, it depended on what you looked like. I am, what you might say, a professional business woman and the first two days I dressed very conservative and professional...they did not check me at all. The last day I wore a Harley shirt and they were all over me!!!! The same people who spoke to me, were nice, friendly and helpfull the first two days, treated me like I was some kind of concern because of a shirt.

BTW make475 my hometown is Lawton.

[MissinLoo]

My man was in rikers almost 6 months. I had the ion scan done about 10-12 times!!!! First time it was my glasses that beeped. No one told me I had to take them off. The CO told me that anyone that beeps gets the test. About a month later i wore a bra that beeped! TEST AGAIN! Then my pants had little studs I didnt even know that were in my back pockets. TEST AGAIN! Most of the other times they chose a card randomly out of the pile of visit card from that one bus and i got picked a lot. I never tested positive, but my mother in law went once alone and she was chosen randomly to test... came back positive! I can assure u that this woman does not do any drugs, but it was positive and she was soooooo upset. She cryed tru the whole booth visit cuz she couldnt hug him and when she got home she called me crying and upset. I felt so bad for her! She didnt even know what to blame it on. The CO was actually nice to her, told her it could of been any money she touched or anything on the bus. (she took the bus and train that day)

[dreamwalker]

I;m a new member and have read several of the responses re drug scanner.I have personal experience with the scanner as well as watching my daughters repeated denials for visitation.First off, you are being tested in an uncontrolled environment by a prison official who is NOT required to be drug tested him or herself,,In Sheridan, Or, they were notorius for testing whoever whenever they so chose, copies of test results were denied.My daughter went so far as to buy new clothes including shoes, from the skin out, had a sheet put on the seat of my car to ride in,wore plastic sterile gloves,,touched NOTHING with her hands, other than the inkpen in the uncontrolled environment of the lobby, the visitation form etc,,and was found positive, I who rode in the same car etc was not,,,she was refused a copy of her results,they refused to body search her, and she also pleaded with officials to let her go to the local hospital to take a drug test, which was refused.After 3 times of this, I started writing letters to my congressmen the warden,the fpop,local newspapers,,and I didnt quit,,these are all now part of a law suit against the fbop filed by certain parties,,I might add, altho fbop would not admit guilt, they reinstated everyones visiting priviledges,,which didnt help my daughter,,as her boyfriend was shipped out of state..Remember,,,you are using inkpens used by whoever went before you,you are picking up visiting forms touched by how many,,but most of all the guards cannot be tested,,their union willnot allow it...so, lengthy as this answer is, I hope it addresses the issue.It's a crap shoot with the ion scanner, People!