Body scanners that detect contraband arrive in some South Carolina prisons

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — There's a new way to detect contraband smuggled into South Carolina prisons.

Body scanners are being placed at the front gate at facilities statewide.

ABC News 4 got a first look at body scanning technology from OD Security North America.

Lukas Richter sells these scanners. He says the machines have been able to detect contraband 100 percent of the time, according to recent tests.

Now, they're headed into prisons across our state.

“It’s the same type of technology that used in baggage scanning technology it’s just been optimized for human use applications or screening of people,” says Richter.

Four state prisons already have them in place: Kershaw, Lee, Evans and Turbeville.

Training on these machines for corrections officers begins tomorrow.

Richter says the technology is simple.

“A person will stand physically on a platform and the platform will scan them through the system,” says Richter.

We spoke exclusively to SCDC Director Bryan Stirling about why he bought these scanners for the prisons.

“It will make a large impact in the amount of contraband coming through the front gates. First place we are going to put these is in 18 of our institutions across the state, at a cost just over $2 million—$120,000 per scanner,” says Stirling.

Stirling says these scanners are part of a multi-pronged fight on contraband detection that includes 50-foot nets and drone detection surveillance along with recent cell phone blocking technology.

OD Security North America is based in Texas and is currently expanding to the Lowcountry.