Company Spotlight Form
Email Address: acarey@raysecur.com
Company Name: RaySecur
Your name and title: Amy Carey, VP Marketing
1.) What was the inspiration behind starting your company?
RaySecur’s mission is to provide safe, accessible drug and contraband detection systems that anyone can use - anywhere.The corrections, law enforcement, and security industries have long been hampered by a lack of effective, safe, and easily accessible imaging systems to detect concealed drugs, contraband, and other threats smuggled into their facilities.
Consider, for example, the healthcare industry, where many different scanning technologies exist, ranging from MRI to ultrasound to X-ray CT scanners, each tailored to a specific need.Unfortunately, similar options did not exist for corrections and public safety professionals, hampering their ability to detect drugs and contraband ranging from drug-laced paper, suboxone, fentanyl, and even small electronics and weapons smuggled into their facilities.
As a world leader in terahertz (THz) imaging, RaySecur’s advanced detection systems now enable corrections and law enforcement personnel to begin to close this gap with safe, effective, and easy-to-deploy screening systems to detect even the smallest quantities of drugs, contraband, and drug-laced papers concealed in mail and other items.RaySecur’s headquarters and manufacturing are in Norwood, MA, just outside Boston, one of the world’s leading technology hubs.Our detection systems are used by leading correctional facilities, Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and even to screen mail for world leaders.
2.) What is your signature product and how does it work?
MailSecur® uses safe T-rays to provide a real-time 3D view of contents concealed in letters, parcels, and other items – without opening them.It is ideally suited for corrections to detect drugs and contraband in inmate mail.MailSecur is the only screening solution that can effectively detect all forms of drugs and contraband - the smallest quantity of liquids, powders, drugs, electronics, drug-laced papers, suboxone, sharps, and other suspicious items. MailSecur is also the only desktop mail screening solution designated as a Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology (QATT) by the US Department of Homeland Security under the SAFETY Act.
The mail screening process with MailSecur is simple, fast, and, most importantly, safe for the operator, all while maintaining privacy and confidentiality.
To start the screening process, any unopened mail item or package is held in the field of view, and a live 3D video of the internal contents is displayed on the screen.MailSecur screens all types of mail items – letters, cards, legal mail, parcels, and other types of packaging – and the operator can manipulate the mail item to gain alternate views for improved detection - in real-time.The video images are 300x more sensitive than X-ray at detecting small amounts of powders and liquids concealed in letters and parcels, among other types of drugs and contraband.
With MailSecur, corrections staff can detect the smallest and hardest-to-find substances:
- Drug-laced papers: K2/K3, spice, THC, methamphetamines, fentanyl, Raid and other narcotics and chemicals
- Suboxone Strips concealed in letters, magazines, newspapers, and behind stamps and return labels
- Powder or liquid forms: methamphetamines, opioids, cocaine, heroin, and synthetic marijuana, among others
- Contraband: cell phones, SIM cards, USB connectors, sharps, money, and other types of weapons
This is vastly different from other screening technologies, especially X-ray, one of the most prevalent forms of mail screening.With X-ray, organizations must take on the extra effort and cost of specially training staff to use and interpret the static 2D images, as well as the mandate site certifications and licenses.Since X-ray radiation is harmful, the user cannot touch and manipulate the objects as they are scanned putting them at a disadvantage in detecting well-concealed threats.
3.) Why do you believe your products are essential to your vertical (Police, Fire, EMS, Corrections, Government) community?
Despite their perception for being highly secure and “locked down,” virtually every prison, jail, and correctional facility is experiencing a high influx of illicit drugs and contraband smuggled through their postal mail. The problem is only worsening, exacerbated by financial motivations, the need to address inmates’ substance use disorders, and under-resourced corrections facilities.
At the heart of the issue is that conventional screening technologies and techniques aren’t effective at detecting the types of mail-based threats corrections facilities face. Criminals are increasingly innovative in their attempt to stay a step ahead of law enforcement and bypass traditional detection methods. In addition, the shortcomings of conventional screening methods are compounded by protections afforded inmate mail, especially legal mail, which further complicates the issue. It all adds up to a system that wastes time and reduces staff productivity, but worse, contributes to a substantial safety risk for inmates, officers, and corrections staff alike.
With MailSecur, corrections staff can use safe T-ray technology to “see inside” the mail and move through the screening process much faster, while drastically reducing the risk of staff exposure to harmful substances since mail items don’t need to be opened for screening.
MailSecur overcomes all of the challenges posed by conventional screening technologies and approaches:
- Manual inspections – exposes staff to harmful substances
- Copying/digitizing – raises legal challenges, particularly for privileged and legal mail
- X-ray – lacks sensitivity to detect small quantities of drugs, powders, liquids, and laced-papers
- Lightboxes – limited effectiveness and generally requires the mail to be opened
- Canine units – difficult to keep pace with changes in drug compounds, exposes animals to risks from fentanyl and other harmful substances
4.) What makes your company unique?
Although RaySecur’s roots are in developing cutting-edge T-ray imaging systems, our expertise in enterprise-wide mail security and drug and contraband interdiction sets us apart from other technology companies in the industry.Our customer service, support, and training team are comprised of former law enforcement narcotics agents, military EOD specialists, and USPIS dangerous mail inspectors. Our deep security expertise has been instrumental in the adoption of MailSecur by four of the five largest U.S. companies, as well as various federal, state and local agencies, and as part of the personal security strategy for presidential candidates and G8 world leaders.
Combining deep subject matter expertise with advanced security imaging technology delivers unprecedented detection capabilities to our customers – providing both the tools and the know-how to tackle even the most difficult detection challenges.MailSecur delivers advanced visual inspection capabilities at 10X higher sensitivity than mmWave scanners used at airports.The result?Most normal mail can quickly be cleared and delivered to its recipient in its original unopened form.Only a small fraction of suspect items must be quarantined and subject to secondary identification screening.This provides not only a more effective detection solution but saves time, freeing up staff or other work, and most importantly, keeps staff and inmates safe.
5.) What do your customers like best about you and your products?
Our customers appreciate the effectiveness of our MailSecur solution for drug and contraband detection, the commitment of our services and support team which delivers around-the-clock 24x365 dedicated access to former law enforcement and military subject matter experts – the same experts that deliver all of our hands-on training onsite and remotely, and how we continually update our feature set based on the needs of our corrections customers.
Our engineering and software teams constantly innovate to deliver enhanced capabilities to better meet the unique needs and emerging challenges facing the corrections industry.Recent examples include working together with major state departments of corrections to develop software updates to enhance drug-soaked paper detection capabilities, as well as developing a highly portable version of our T-ray imaging system to allow corrections staff to move the unit to the housing block to aid in cell searches or screen legal mail in front of inmates in their cells.
7.) What is the most rewarding part of serving the first responder/local government community?
First and foremost, our team of security subject matter experts is made up of first responders and security professionals ranging from former law enforcement officers to military explosives experts and USPIS dangerous mail inspectors, among others.We take pride in providing these communities with advanced technologies, intelligence, and training to make them more effective in achieving their objectives and making their work safer.
RaySecur takes our role in improving the safety and security of correction facilities very eriously. Unfortunately, the increased number of accidental drug exposures due to smuggled drugs via postal mail continues to rise. In addition, staffing shortages and vacancies put additional pressure on existing staff, leading to even more stress and the potential for injury.
With MailSecur, DOCs are able to see a sizable positive impact on the safety, accuracy, and effectiveness of their mail screening operation inside jails and prisons.
8.) Do you support any charitable organizations within public safety/community? Tell us more.
RaySecur is a proud EOD Warrior Foundation supporter and has several former EOD specialists on staff. They are an instrumental piece to the success of our customer’s mail security strategy. We’ve also contributed to various Sheriff’s Associations, American Jail Association, and the American Correctional Association. Our team are active participants in the Security Industry Association and ASIS.
9.) What’s next for your company? Any upcoming new projects or initiatives?
Corrections facilities can expect continued technology and services enhancements to best fit their needs. For example, MailSecur can be used for alternate applications, such as investigating personal items of clothing and shoes. In addition, prisoners returning from legal proceedings is a viable avenue for smuggling substances into the facility. MailSecur can assist in this regard as a means to screen objects obtained during the court hearings. As stated above, our engineering team continually enhances the software and imaging capabilities of MailSecur and issues quarterly updates.