New York prison officials have reported an increase in drone activity used to smuggle contraband, including cell phones, drugs, and weapons, into correctional facilities. Two incidents in less than two months at the Wallkill and Sing Sing prisons have brought renewed attention to the escalating security challenge, leading Governor Kathy Hochul to sign new legislation aimed at curbing the practice.
Correction officers at Wallkill Correctional Facility recovered a package dropped by an overnight drone on May 26. The package, weighing over five pounds, contained cell phones, charging cables, SIM cards, marijuana, and unidentified pills. Less than two weeks later, on June 8, a drone drop at Sing Sing Correctional Facility yielded a similar package with marijuana, pills, earphones, and a charging cord.
It remains unclear if these recent incidents are connected to a March drone drop at Marcy Correctional Facility, where officers found two knives, a significant quantity of marijuana, a cell phone, and intoxicating chemical-soaked paper.
"There is a broader pattern of drone use to smuggle contraband into prisons as inmates and their associates continue to find new ways to introduce drugs, weapons, and other dangerous items inside correctional facilities," said Joe Horacek, NYSCOPBA Mid-Hudson Region Vice President. "These latest incidents at Wallkill and Sing Sing highlight the urgent need to identify and prosecute those responsible under the new legislation signed into law by the governor."
Governor Hochul signed legislation on June 17 that specifically addresses the use of drones to deliver contraband into prisons and prohibits unauthorized flights over correctional facilities and other sensitive locations. The law is set to take effect on August 25.
The issue is not confined to New York. Officials in South Carolina have reported drones delivering various items, from drugs and knives to food, into prisons. Furthermore, the Department of Justice announced on June 24 that 12 individuals were charged for allegedly using drones to smuggle contraband into ten prisons across eight states.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons recorded a significant surge in drone incursions, with the number climbing from 23 in 2018 to 479 by 2024, indicating a more than twenty-fold increase in incidents involving the delivery of drugs, weapons, and cell phones into federal prisons. Investigations into the recent New York incidents are ongoing.