Drone Delivering Drugs And Cell Phones To Inmates Crashes In Prison Yard

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A drone that crashed into the yard at Washington State Prison was loaded with cell phones, tobacco, oxycodone and marijuana, a Georgia Department of Corrections spokeswoman said.

It was the first known incident involving a drone at an Arizona state prison, according to corrections spokesman Andrew Wilder.

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Wilder said correctional officers at the facility discovered the drone after it crashed and confiscated the contraband, which had been tied up in an orange sweatshirt.

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Currier said they are trying to track down the drone pilot.

"Basically, we have to rely upon forensic evidence, such as DNA fingerprints, that will hopefully lead us to the person or persons that possess that drone," said Currier. "Also within the drone, there's a box that provides GPS information"

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Another ​drone-related incident​ occurred in Ohio in 2015, when a drone dropped contraband into an Ohio prison, sparking a fight in the prison’s recreation yard.

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All airspace around prisons is federally restricted so flying any item, including drones, near the facilities is prohibited, Wilder said. Attempting to smuggle drugs and cellphones into prisons is a felony crime.

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The department went on to say Arizona correctional officers already do an "excellent" job at stopping illegal items from entering state prisons, which "may explain why bad guys are turning to new methods such as drones to try to get illegal contraband inside prisons."

Officials said as criminals start to use more technology, they are exploring ramping up their technological defenses. Right now, however, a watchful eye is their first line of defense against future drone deliveries.