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* Associated Press…
In 2022, New York City’s jails commissioner, Louis Molina, issued a dire warning to local lawmakers: fentanyl was pouring into Rikers Island through the mail, he said, spurring an overdose crisis among the jail’s detainees and putting guards at risk.
As evidence of the insidious threat, Molina passed around a child’s drawing of a reindeer, one of hundreds of seized items he said had been “literally soaked in the drug and mailed to people in custody.”
But that claim was based on faulty drug-testing kits with a stunning 85% false positive rate, according to a report released Wednesday by the city’s Department of Investigation. The report found the city vastly overstated the prevalence of fentanyl sent by mail to detainees. […]
The review by the Department of Investigation found DetectaChem’s test strips had a false positive rate of 79%, while Sirchie’s were wrong 91% of the time.
As I told you in September, the Illinois Department of Corrections uses Sirchie to test items for drugs.
* Back to the AP story…
Detainee advocates have long contended that drugs primarily enter the jail system via employees, who can easily smuggle them inside and sell them to gang leaders. In recent years, dozens of correction officers have been charged in multiple investigations of smuggling rings on Rikers Island.
In its report, the Department of Investigation said corrections officials had failed to implement many of the department’s previous recommendations aimed at screening staff for contraband.
As we’ve told you before, various reports have shown that moving to electronically scanned prison mail has actually resulted in increased drug overdoses.
* And yet, the drumbeat here continues to electronically scan mail. I’m kinda wondering if a private company is behind this push…
* WBEZ | Here’s why some lawmakers want to ban paper mail going into Illinois prisons: Drug-soaked paper is making its way into Illinois prisons, causing overdoses and staff safety concerns. But banning it could pose legal issues.
* The Southern Illinoisan | Friess, Windhorst sponsor Illinois House bill to make prison mail electronic: “Instead, we’ve seen a letter from several representatives of the majority party stating that mail services should continue despite clear evidence that this is how dangerous substances are entering our facilities,” Friess said. “While we all value the connections that physical mail provides, it’s hard to ignore the very real risk to safety that comes with it right now.”
* Center Square | IL Department of Corrections quiet after lawmakers address drug-infused mail: John Howard Association Executive Director Jennifer Vollen-Katz said understanding where the contraband is coming from and what kind of contraband is getting into the prison is the first step. Vollen-Katz called the banning of physical mail a “knee-jerk reaction.” “Mail is one of the ways contraband comes in but it’s not the only one,” said Vollen-Katz. “It could be staff, it could be through vendors who work on contracts with IDOC, it could be visitors. There’s a lot of different ways contraband could get into prisons. Understanding what’s getting in and how is really critical information to solving the problem.”
I have tried and tried to get a response out of IDOC without success. Its silence is absolutely ridiculous.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Nov 21, 24 @ 1:05 pm
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91% false positive? 79% false positive? That’s just fraud.
While I would guess that false positives are more likely on a test like this, presumably they don’t know the false negative rate either.
Outstanding work by Freedom Caucuser Friess in trying to stop drugs will likely only be stopping crayon drawings.
Waste, fraud, and abuse indeed.
Comment by ArchPundit Thursday, Nov 21, 24 @ 1:20 pm
I’d be shocked if there wasn’t a prison tech company behind the pilot program.
A great background on why mail scanning is a terrible idea here: https://www.restorejustice.org/mail-scanning/
Comment by tada emoji Thursday, Nov 21, 24 @ 1:22 pm
= Its silence is absolutely ridiculous. =
Silence is an awful idea in media relations, even if you have nothing new or particularly substantive to say. The least you can do is acknowledge the request, promise to follow up, and segue to key messaging until a more thorough statement is available.
Jordan’s and Jason’s exits aside, it’s amazing how many approvals and sign-offs are required among the executive agencies when they receive media inquiries.
= the drumbeat here continues to electronically scan mail. =
Plenty of Statehouse media with questions about the hows and whys, and it’s not like this is a new issue.
Comment by Dirty Red Thursday, Nov 21, 24 @ 1:27 pm
In addition to supporting IDOC’s push to privatize and depersonalize mail to people in prison, do the 91%-incorrect drug tests serve as the basis for issuing them disciplinary tickets and lockdowns?
Comment by Stephanie Kollmann Thursday, Nov 21, 24 @ 1:30 pm
=== serve as the basis for issuing them disciplinary tickets and lockdowns? ===
In some cases, yes.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Nov 21, 24 @ 1:36 pm
We traced the call and it’s coming from inside the house…
The contraband like cell phones is not coming in by mail. It’s your staff, always has been.
Comment by Give Us Barabbas Thursday, Nov 21, 24 @ 1:45 pm
At any point have these drug tests been used on items that would lead to an increase in the sentence of an incarcerated individual?
Comment by BilboSwaggins Thursday, Nov 21, 24 @ 1:55 pm
Those are New York’s tests.
I’m sure ours are fine. /S
Comment by Bruce( no not him) Thursday, Nov 21, 24 @ 2:09 pm
So tired of hearing about this. Solve it now.
1) Sirchie test kits are terrible, especially for unknown synthetics and opioids. Quit buying them. These are especially inneffective for unknown substances. There is a different pouch fore every substance and its a true/false type deal for every substance.
2) Each prison needs a supply of TruNark type machines. Suspect substances, and suspected soaked paper are analyzed for all substances. It tells you if something is present and you don’t have to know what you are testing for ahead of time like the Sirchie kits. They are $40-50,000 per machine but they actually work.
3) Use ISP to set up checks of employees coming in. You will soon know who has been compromised by the inmates because they will flee, try to talk the officers out of being searched or admit their guilt prior to search. Been there, done that.
Comment by HSI Thursday, Nov 21, 24 @ 2:17 pm
“the Illinois Department of Corrections uses Sirchie to test items for drugs”
I’ve got a stick that repels boogiemen that I’m willing lease to IDOC for $100k/year.
Got to keep everyone safe from all the threats.
– MrJM
Comment by @misterjayem Thursday, Nov 21, 24 @ 3:19 pm