Jail Gets High-Tech Body Scanner

Staff at the Pinellas County Jail have a new tool to help detect weapons, drugs and other prohibited items that inmates might try to smuggle into the jail.

All inmates will be screened using a new SecurPass body scanning system before they are booked into the jail. The system detects metals, pills, plastics, drugs, and other unusually-shaped items that inmates might conceal.

"In the last 12 months, there were 158 separate contraband incidents detected at the booking process," said Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri at a news conference about the new scanner.

Gualtieri says some of the items found on inmates included firearms, knives, drugs and drug paraphernalia, counterfeit bills, and a handcuff key. 

"Safety is paramount. Our primary focus is to keep our detention deputies, civilian staff and the inmates safe," he said.

It takes eight seconds to perform a 360-degree view scan. Once the scan is complete, the image is then examined by a detention deputy on a computer screen. The image will only be stored if contraband is detected.

The scanner, which cost $215,000, will not eliminate or replace the need to conduct strip searches. 

Detention and Corrections staff says that having inmates screened using SecurPass adds one minute to the entire booking process.

There are an average of 4,700 bookings a year or about 128 a day at the Pinellas County Jail, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.