Prisons increasingly use
Full body scanning technology has largely replaced strip searches in five prisons, with plans to introduce scanners to five more as new legislation could broaden the ways in which the technology is used.
New legislation travelling through Parliament, the Corrections Amendment Bill, could also see prisoners’ body temperature scanned for the purpose of checking whether they have a communicable disease. The bill also proposes being able to use, monitor or disclose biometric information collected from prisoners for an intelligence purpose. The bill has just finished its submissions stage.
The Department of Corrections has ordered five more Soter RS body scanning machines to add to the five it already has at its 17 prisons – at Rimutaka Prison in Wellington, Christchurch Women’s Prison, Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility, Spring Hill in Waikato and Mt Eden in Auckland. Women’s prisons have been prioritised.
Some prisons needed infrastructure changes to install the scanner. Corrections didn’t respond to questions about how much it paid for the scanners, but indications online suggest overseas jurisdictions have paid at least $200,000 for one.
The first scanner was piloted at Rimutaka Prison in March, 2021, after research which saw Corrections staff travel to Australia to see how the technology worked.
“It was clear how the technology eased the process of arriving at prison for both prisoners and staff, allowing everyone to maintain their dignity and space in a way that still helps keep everyone safe. Prisoners seemed more relaxed and no one was resisting the scanner,” said Corrections director of custodial operations, David Grigg, of the pilot.
“Using this less-intrusive form of
searching provides a more dignified, humanising approach to search for both people in prison and our staff.
“Our experience shows that the use of full body scanners also serves as a deterrent to bringing contraband into prison and reduces the risk to staff safety when it comes to suspected concealments.”
The technology is able to tell if a person is carrying something internally and Corrections says the machine automatically deletes the imagery after a day. Corrections’ chief privacy officer was consulted.
Legislation allows prison officers to strip search inmates any time if they have reasonable grounds to believe they have an unauthorised item, and allows the use of a scanner at any time for the purpose of searching for unauthorised items.
Strip searches must be carried out by an officer of the same sex and other rules apply.
The technology is also used in prisons in the US and the United Kingdom and last year they were introduced for the first time in Ireland, which its prison service described as a “game changer”.
According to Corrections’ most recent annual report there were 6012 incidents involving contraband reported between 2021-22, up on 5311 the year before.
Corrections wouldn’t say it intended to entirely phase out strip searching, as there were some instances a strip search was required, citing the example of someone under the influence entering custody and not being able to stand long enough.
Earlier this month at Spring Hill prison a scanner detected 21.83 grams of cannabis, 0.56 grams of a white crystal substance indicative of methamphetamine, a glass smoking device and multiple cigarette papers on a returning inmate, according to Corrections.
The Howard League for Penal Reform’s Cos Jeffery said the organisation supported the technology. “Our general policy is we support scanning if it means body searches are no longer required, because they can be humiliating and often used as punishment as well.”
In 2018 high-profile prisoners Arthur Taylor and Philip John Smith were awarded $1000 each after the High Court ruled the mass strip search of prisoners after an attack on a guard at Auckland Prison at Paremoremo was unlawful.
“Using this less-intrusive form of searching provides a more dignified, humanising approach to search for both people in prison and our staff. Our experience shows that the use of full body scanners also serves as a deterrent to bringing contraband into prison and reduces the risk to staff safety when it comes to suspected concealments.” David Grigg Corrections director of custodial operations