Rikers Island guards will soon have to be inspected by drug-sniffing dogs when they enter the jail after investigators discovered rampant smuggling.
The changes come after an undercover Department of Investigation operative posing as a correction officer was able to smuggle contraband into the facility on six different occasions, including a razor blade, marijuana, prescription drugs, heroin and alcohol.
The Department of Correction has also agreed to put specialized units in place to oversee the new screening measures, which could be similar to TSA screening at airports.
The probe was sparked by the arrests a dozen officers and employees at Rikers for moving illegal goods into the jail. Two have been convicted so far.
Department of Investigation Commissioner Mark Peters said the protocols in place need to be changed.
“It’s very disturbing for a lot of reasons,” he said. “Not only is contraband smuggling a bad thing of itself, but it’s one of the root causes of the problem of violence that we’re seeing in the prisons. And in fact, one of the issues we have is that there’s been violence against guards and attacks on guards, and so when you have correction officers smuggling in weapons and smuggling in drugs, you’re heightening the risk of violence.”
Officials say the changes in security at Rikers should take about six months to implement.
Meanwhile, the extensive investigation into criminal activity by guards and other employees continues.
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