🚨 OK Prisons Roll Out Full-Body Scanners — But Is It Enough to Stop the Flood of Contraband?
The Oklahoma Department of Corrections is installing advanced full-body scanners at five major facilities. Similar to TSA-style technology, these scanners can detect hidden drugs, cell phones, and other contraband, whether concealed externally or internally.
The new scanners are being deployed at:
• Dick Conner Correctional Center (Hominy)
• Great Plains Correctional Center (Hinton)
• Oklahoma State Penitentiary (McAlester)
• Allen Gamble Correctional Center (Holdenville)
• Mabel Bassett Correctional Center (McLoud)
Red Rock Correctional Center in Lawton already has one in operation, bringing the statewide total to six.
Everyone entering these facilities, including staff, visitors, volunteers, and contractors, will be subject to scanning. If something suspicious is detected, individuals may be interviewed and denied entry. Deputy Chief Jason Bryant described the scanners as “another weapon in our arsenal.”
The numbers behind Oklahoma’s contraband problem are staggering:
• In 2025 alone, ODOC seized more than $18 million worth of contraband.
• More than 6,700 cell phones were confiscated.
• Over 260 pounds of marijuana were seized.
• Nearly 50 pounds of methamphetamine were recovered.
• More than 3,000 improvised weapons were found.
• Eighty-three people were arrested for smuggling-related offenses, including 42 visitors and 14 staff members.
And the problem hasn’t slowed down.
In early 2026 alone, authorities have already filed 17 contraband-related criminal cases, including charges against four staff members.
The scanners are being funded through inmate phone-call revenues following FCC pricing changes. While ODOC is finally investing in new technology, taxpayers and inmate families have spent years dealing with the consequences of porous prison security, including contraband cell phones, narcotics, drones, fence drops, and insider-assisted smuggling operations.
The issue also connects to larger concerns inside Oklahoma prisons, including violence, deaths in custody, organized criminal activity, and the role contraband plays in fueling chaos behind bars.
Adding to the discussion, former death row inmate Julius Jones was recently charged in connection with an alleged 2024 marijuana and contraband phone smuggling conspiracy.
The question for Oklahoma is simple:
Will these scanners significantly reduce the flow of contraband, or are they another band-aid while deeper issues involving staffing, accountability, corruption, and oversight continue to grow?
Drop your thoughts, experiences, or tips below. If you work in corrections, have family inside, or have firsthand knowledge of what’s happening behind the walls, your perspective matters.
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