Commissioner: Gregory C. Dozier

Director of Public Affairs: Joan Heath

More than 12,500 items seized

FORSYTH, Ga. – In keeping with our commitment to eradicate the state’s prison system of contraband, the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) seized a total of 12,633.34 items of contraband from inside our prisons in the first quarter of 2017.  Efforts to eliminate contraband have been made possible through continuing improvements and enhancements of front line and technological methods, as well as full facility shakedowns.

“I’m proud of our dedicated officers and staff for their work in intercepting almost 13,000 items of contraband in the first quarter of 2017,“  said Commissioner Dozier. “We will continue to strengthen our efforts to ‘fight crime from within’ and will prosecute those who attempt to disrupt our mission of maintaining secure and safe facilities.”

Through the collaboration of our Office of Professional Standards, GDC Tactical Squads and K9 Units, the following items were confiscated between January and March 2017:

  • 2,138 cell phones
  • 1,125 cell phone chargers
  • 1,903 handmade weapons
  • 7,703.54 grams of marijuana (700 bags/balloons)
  • 78,380.75 grams of tobacco (3,237 bags/balloons)
  • 590.44 grams of methamphetamine (108 bags/balloons)
  • 19 grams of cocaine (3 bags/balloons)
  • 5.2 grams of ecstasy (unpackaged)
  • 2,243.34 pills 
  • 11,933.20 ounces of alcohol (245 bottles)
  • 895 syringes
  • 36 SIM/SD cards

The agency implemented an array of methods in 2016 to assist with preventing contraband from entering our prisons. These efforts included additional staff training on contraband detection, improved package screening of incoming items to our prisons, enhanced screening of our staff during shift change, the addition of cell phone detention canines, secure evidence storage procedures, BOSS scanners, cell sense devices, through-body scanners, thermal imaging, perimeter netting, and infrared cameras. In the first quarter of 2017, the agency continued to use these methods to detect contraband.

The GDC also utilized shakedown operations to detect 1,840 items in the first quarter of 2017. A total of 18 shakedowns were completed at nine of the 33 state prisons.

First quarter shakedown seizures included:

  • 564 handmade weapons
  • 468 cell phones
  • 955.99 grams of THC (700 bags/balloons)
  • 99.5 grams of methamphetamine (108 bags/balloons)

For more information on the GDC call 478-992-5247 or visit https://gdc.georgia.gov.