SA’s prisons experience influx of illicit drugs as a new detection machine aims to combat smuggling

Almost 1600 items were seized from inside SA’s prisons in a year. Find out what they were, and what’s being done to stop illegal items getting in.

A drastic influx of illicit drugs and other prohibited items, including tattooing equipment, being smuggled into South Australian prisons will be combated with first-of-its-kind body scan technology.

Data obtained by The Advertiser from the Department of Correctional Services has revealed a 66 per cent increase of contraband items discovered across all state prisons within one year.

Items seized has risen from 957 in 2022/23 to 1590 in 2023/24.

The leading five prisons where contraband was found were Yatala Labour Prison, followed by Adelaide Women’s Prison, then Cadell Training Centre, Mobilong Prison and Port Augusta Prison.

The most common items seized in prisons in the past financial year were drugs and drug related paraphernalia (587), followed by tobacco products and equipment (192), tattooing equipment (60), homemade weapons (56), electronic devices including phones and sims (29), and home-brews (23).

The remaining 643 items were unusual items, which might pose a security or safety threats, like toothpick or paperclips.

Shadow Corrections Minister Jack Batty said the spike in drugs detected in prisons indicates there’s a bigger “drugs problem in South Australian prisons”.

“Labor have all the legal tools they need to get drugs out of our prisons … (but) the significant increase in drug related incidents and seized contraband shows that they are failing to use them,” he said.

Manager, Security Adelaide Women’s Prison Samuel Forster with General Manager Stephanie Flint looking at the new body scanner. Picture: Kelly Barnes

General Manager Stephanie Flint stands near the new body scanner. Picture: Kelly Barnes

In a bid to combat the increasing rate of drugs and prohibited items being smuggled into prisons, new body scan technology has been installed into the Adelaide Women’s Prison.

The scan, located in one room, analyses the prisoner’s full body in a matter of seconds, while in the neighbouring room, a highly-trained corrections officer views the images, which reveal any items stashed on or inside an inmate.

Since the machine was installed last August, more than 800 body scans have been completed.

In one instance, a woman was recorded attempting to smuggle a powder via a balloon in her bra.

The contraband balloon with powder was found in the prisoner's bra. Picture: Supplied.

Adelaide Womens Prison body scan detected contraband balloons with powder found in the prisoner's bra. Picture: Supplied.

Adelaide Womens Prison body scan detects contraband balloons with powder found on prisoner. Picture: Supplied.

Executive Director for Correctional Services Ryan Harber boasted the advanced imaging from the new body scan ensured maximum security.

“It’s a first-of-its-kind for the women’s prison in the state,” Mr Harber said.

“Previously, traditional searching technology did not detect internal concealment whereas this body scan allows us to pick up on any items hidden in a person without needing to remove any clothing.”

Meanwhile, Corrections Minister Emily Bourke said the increased contraband detection is a direct result of improved security measures.

In the previous financial year they have conducted nearly 104,000 searches.

“We have stepped up efforts to stamp out dangerous contraband before it gets into our prisons,” she said.

“(And) we know that body searching is the first touchpoint for anyone coming into the prison system and it can be a very overwhelming experience, not only for the person coming into the system but also for the employees,” she said.

“The strip search can be a very confronting process but the scan minimises the trauma.”