DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Drones could join guards keeping an eye on inmates in two Ohio prisons, according to
the state corrections agency.
The Department of Rehabilitation and Correction is taking public comments over the next month about the
proposal for unmanned aerial vehicles at Lebanon Correctional Institution and Warren Correctional
Institution in southwest Ohio.
The drones, to monitor prison yards and fences, would augment existing security staff as opposed to
replacing guards, Ed Voorhies, the agency’s operations managing director, told the Dayton Daily News on
Wednesday (http://bit.ly/1nzxSMi ).
The agency is considering three camera-carrying options: a tethered helium balloon, a quad-copter and a
fixed-wing vehicle.
The cameras may be equipped with infrared sensors to detect people outside the fences approaching at
night to throw over contraband such as tobacco, drugs or even weapons, he said.
“Right now we have difficulty detecting that kind of an external threat,” Voorhies said.
The state will need policies for using the technology, said Gary Daniels, with the Ohio chapter of the
American Civil Liberties Union. He said that while there is little expectation of privacy on prison
property, there is a potential for misuse if the cameras are used beyond the prison perimeter.
Christopher Mabe, president of the union representing prison guards, doesn’t oppose the concept but says
evidence shows prison violence is best handled by more staff.
The state “has adopted plenty of new technologies through the years that have hardly moved the needle in
terms of violence or contraband levels,” Mabe said. “We would caution the agency not to ascribe too much
importance to new methods such as this.”