Companies like Amazon, Wing, and Zipline have spent the better part of the last decade working towards enabling drone delivery programs. With advancements in technology, new FAA regulations, and the need presented by the spread of a global pandemic, drone delivery trials have been initiated all over the world. For the most part, these last mile drone delivery trials have been hugely successful. It is only a matter of time before drones can be safely used for deliveries without restrictions.

The drones used for deliveries can carry a payload between 4-10lbs, with heavy lift drones capable of carrying upwards of 100lbs. This has made drones ideal carriers of medical supplies like blood, vaccines, PPEs, personal items like library books, Girl Scout Cookies, restaurant takeout, and more. Even small off the shelf drones can be used to transport packages as one man in Massachusetts proved. During the height of the COVID19 lock downs, he used his small drone to deliver a box of donut holes down the street to his grandchildren.

While the majority of drones being used for deliveries are positive use cases, there are always exceptions to the rules. Throughout the world, police and correctional officers have had to deal with drones being used to deliver contraband into prisons. A DJI Inspire 2 can run between $1,000-$4,000 and has a payload capacity of 9.37lbs. While the drone is by no means a cheap toy, if being used to smuggle contraband into a prison, the buyer can quickly make back their investment. But almost any drone, even those costing less than $500, can be used to make illegal deliveries. Hence, some states started to introduce bills to stop drone flights over prisons and correctional facilities throughout the US.

On February 3, 2022, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) announced that an 8 month long investigation led to the arrests of 20 individuals using drones to smuggle hundreds of pounds of contraband into the Lee Correctional Institute in Bishopville, SC. The arrests were made of individuals from 2 separate gangs with contacts inside the prison. Gang members would fly inexpensive drones into the prison field under the cover of night. They land the drones in an inconspicuous location. When the inmates come out during the day, they remove the drone’s payload. Once it is dark again, the drone is flown out of the prison yard.

From May to August of 2021, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office made 8 arrests, the final 12 being made this past January. According to a statement from the SCDC, the seizure included “About 100 pounds of tobacco, about 13 pounds of marijuana, about 843 grams of methamphetamines, about 114 grams of crack cocaine, about 49 grams of cocaine, 25 cellphones, two knives, three guns, 12 drones, $6,393 in cash.” The statement also revealed that the packages contained items like candy, liquor, and chargers.

“Our main focus is to stop contraband from entering the institution, and especially prevent someone from getting injured in the process,” Lee County Sheriff Daniel Simon said. Even the most innocent drone deliveries of candy to prison can pose dire consequences. Drones as delivery vehicles have a place in society, but that place is nowhere near a correctional facility.