'NO DRUGS HERE,' SAYS PRISON OFFICIAL

There are no drugs in Mountain Institution, says a prison official.

A feat credited to drug interdiction strategies like the drug dog and
ION scanner, both used to detect the presence of contraband drugs.

"The strategies that we are employing are having a very positive
effect," said Brenda Lamm, assistant warden management services. "Our
track record here has shown that our drug interdiction here is
targeting the right people. Drug activity in Mountain right now is
nil, there are no drugs in here."

Inmate visitors, however, are complaining that the ION scanner is not
accurate, that it produces false results, and detects drugs when
drugs are not actually present. Some visitors are also complaining
that guards are not using consistent practices when operating the scanner.

Lamm disagrees.

"Each and every officer that operates the ION scanner cannot do so
unless they are fully trained to operate it," she said.

Guards are trained in the operation of the equipment, care of the
equipment, calibration of the equipment, what to do if a visitor were
to alarm on the equipment - they know what they're doing, said Lamm.

Earlier this year, former warden Alex Lubimit told The Progress that
drugs were quite prevalent in the prison when he had first started as
warden in 2007.

"That wasn't really the environment we wanted to have here," he said.

And so, a tower was erected to stop drugs from being thrown over the
fence; inmates involved in the drug subculture were identified and
watched; and increased enforcement was put in place with the drug dog
and ION scanner.

It's working, said Lamm.

"We process hundreds of visitors in and out of the institution every
year and not everybody rings off on the ION scanner, so if the ION
scanner is alarming, there's a reason why it's alarming, and we have
to trust when it alarms," said Lamm.

"For every visitor that rings or alarms on the ION scanner, there's
20 or 30 that don't."