Somerset is the first county jail in Maine to screen inmates with a body scanner
MADISON, Maine — Smiths Detection Inc. (SDI), in partnership with its Northeast distributor, Access Control Systems Inc., announced that the Somerset County Jail in Madison, ME, is the first county correctional facility in Maine to install a body scanner. The Somerset County Sheriff’s Office has conducted more than 1,000 scans to date, significantly reducing the amount of contraband being brought into the facility, while greatly improving efficiency and reducing costs.
Sheriff Dale P. Lancaster of the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office commented, “We are very pleased with the effects that the B-SCAN has had on safety and security for both staff and inmates. The body scanner has detected multiple occurrences of drugs and weapons concealed internally and has greatly reduced the cost previously spent watching inmates in dry cells. From procurement through installation and training, Access Control Systems and Smiths Detection provided the expertise and oversight necessary to ensure our success with this project.”
Smiths Detection Inc.’s B-SCAN, a transmission X-ray body scanner, is a major deterrent in helping correctional facilities keep drugs and other contraband out. It can detect concealed contraband that has been ingested, hidden in body cavities, or beneath clothing, greatly reducing the need for manual searches. This system is easy to integrate into an existing checkpoint and requires minimal training to operate. It is also backed by Smiths Detection’s 24/7/365 technical support call center. There are hundreds of B-SCAN systems deployed around the world, largely in correctional facilities.
Somerset County Jail is also the first agency internationally to receive Smiths’ Enhanced Image Evaluation training and has opted to implement a “Train the Trainer” program, allowing selected staff to train other staff thus saving time and money in the future.
Dan Gelston, President of SDI, said, “Somerset County is a pioneer in the State of Maine. They were the first to install a B-SCAN body scanner to help enhance the safety of their staff and inmate population and serve as a role model to other counties in the state. We continue to work with organizations to help them implement our world-class technology to meet their requirements of increasing security and improving safety.”
About Smiths Detection
Smiths Detection, part of Smiths Group, is a global leader in threat detection and screening technologies for military, air transportation, homeland security and emergency response markets. Our experience and history across more than 40 years at the frontline, enables us to provide unrivalled levels of expertise to detect and identify constantly changing chemical, radiological, nuclear and explosive threats, as well as weapons, dangerous goods, contraband and narcotics. Our goal is simple – to provide security, peace of mind and freedom of movement upon which the world depends. For more information visit www.smithsdetection.com
Access Control System is a Smiths Detection authorized distributor in the Northeast region of the USA. For 20 years Access Control Systems has been a security screening systems integrator, supplying the most advanced technology and systems support to meet the needs of their customers. For more information visit www.a-c-s.biz or contact Heather Shaver, VP of Business Development at Heather@a-c-s.biz or 401-683-8589.