ION SCANNER SNIFFS OUT DRUGS AT JAIL

The war on drug smuggling into jails has tipped in favour of the
authorities at places like the Prince George Regional Correctional
Centre, where an ion scanner will be put to work as soon as staff is
trained in its use, says jail director Bob Riches. It's aimed
specifically at screening visitors, who may be bringing drugs to
inmates, and could be used by corrections staff who suspect a prisoner
may be using drugs as well. In the past, if an officer smelled
marijuana, for example, by the time they determined which cell it was
coming from, the inmate would have disposed of the evidence.

Now, the suspect's fingers can be scanned or any part of his clothing
that could have come in contact with the drug, such as a pocket or
cuff, and, bingo. . .they're busted. Riches wants to make it
abundantly clear to visitors they will be stopped if any trace of
drugs is picked up by the ion scanner. If a trace amount is found, the
visitor will be given two options, submit to a full search, or leave
the jail. If drugs are found as a result of the search, that person
will be detained and held for the RCMP, he said.

Senior correctional officer Keith Meise, PGRCC's training officer for
the scanner, said the machine costs about $60,000 and is considered
virtually infallible, after two years of testing on the Lower Mainland.

The ion scanner can detect 45 drugs -- opiates, hallucinogens and
marijuana derivatives -- in concentrations as low as one trillionth of
a gram, he said. And if a new drug outside the core group shows up, it
can be dialled into the scanner too.

Meise explained that when drugs are handled, the residue ends up on
your fingers and from there to anything you might touch -- watch, tie,
pockets, belt, wallet or purse.

The swab, a patch of material about the size of your palm, is inserted
in a hand-held device and wiped over the surface of the target object,
then put in the ion scanner, which heats it up scattering the ions and
enabling the machine to determine if any of the 45 drugs was detected.

How concentrated the reading is indicates whether it's a coincidental
trace or a hit from contact with the actual drug.

Riches stressed that visitors have the right to refuse to be
scanned.

"At which point we say 'Fine, go home!'"

Three members of the city RCMP are being trained in use of the scanner
and will be able to take swabs, seal them in evidence bags and take
them to the correctional centre for testing. It saves the city having
to purchase its own scanner, Riches said.