CASE: Contraband Detection in Jail | Iroquois County Sheriff’s Office

Objective

After an inmate death in custody and growing concerns about contraband entering the jail, Iroquois County Sheriff’s Office in Watseka, Illinois set out to strengthen its intake screening process. The agency needed a reliable way to detect narcotics, weapons, and other prohibited items concealed on or inside the body before individuals entered the holding facility.

Background

Like many county correctional facilities across the United States, Iroquois County Sheriff’s Office faced the challenge of preventing contraband from entering the jail through concealment on or inside the body. Traditional search procedures remained important, but the agency needed an additional layer of visibility to reduce the risk of narcotics, weapons, and other prohibited items reaching the jail population.

Body scanning technology had been considered before, but budget limitations made larger traditional systems difficult to justify. For a county jail operating with limited resources, the challenge was not only to find effective technology, but to find a solution that could realistically fit the facility, the budget, and the daily workflow.

“I had looked at body scanners at the Illinois Sheriff’s Conference in the past, but once I looked into the price, I knew with our slim budget for the county, we would never be able to afford anything like that.”

Sheriff Clint Perzee.Head of Iroquois County Sheriff’s Office

Correctional Security Challenges

Contraband prevention in a jail environment is a high-stakes responsibility. Narcotics, weapons, and concealed objects can create immediate safety risks for officers, inmates, and the entire facility. Even a small prohibited item can lead to medical emergencies, violence, investigations, lockdowns, or potential litigation.

The physical limitations of the Iroquois County jail added another layer of complexity. The facility was built in the 1960s and could not easily accommodate a large body scanning system. Any solution selected by the Sheriff’s Office had to provide meaningful detection capability without requiring major changes to the building or disrupting daily intake operations.

Selection Process

When the agency began evaluating body scanning options, space quickly became a decisive factor. The Sheriff’s Office reviewed available systems, but the older jail layout made a compact footprint essential. CLEARPASS C.i. provided a practical answer: a compact partial body scanning system designed for correctional facilities where available space is limited, but security requirements remain high.

Funding through the American Rescue Plan Act changed the situation and allowed the agency to invest in technology that could help prevent overdose incidents, reduce safety risks, and limit potential liability connected with contraband entering the facility.

“We initially planned for the larger CLEARPASS unit, but once the CLEARPASS C.i. was available, it fit us perfectly for the size we needed.”

Sheriff Clint Perzee.Head of Iroquois County Sheriff’s Office

Solution Overview

CLEARPASS C.i. resolved the core challenge for Iroquois County Sheriff’s Office by bringing targeted body scanning capability into a space-limited correctional environment. The system was selected as a compact solution for detecting prohibited items concealed on or inside the body during intake screening.

For the agency, the value of CLEARPASS C.i. was not only its detection capability. It was also the ability to implement the system within the real constraints of an older county jail. The scanner gave officers a practical technology-based tool to support safer intake decisions without requiring a larger installation footprint.

Implementation

CLEARPASS C.i. was integrated into the intake process with minimal disruption to daily operations. The system became part of the agency’s screening procedure for individuals expected to remain in the jail for more than two hours or to be housed in the general population.

Standard book-and-release cases were generally excepted unless suspicious behavior or officer concern required a scan. This gave the Sheriff’s Office a practical and proportionate workflow: the scanner was used where the custody situation or risk level justified additional inspection.

By adding CLEARPASS C.i. to the intake process, Iroquois County Sheriff’s Office improved its ability to identify concealed threats before individuals moved deeper into the facility. The result was a stronger, more consistent, and more defensible screening procedure.

Deployment and Results

Over a period of 2.5 years, Iroquois County Sheriff’s Office completed 517 scans, averaging more than 17 scans per month. This measurable use helped establish the scanner as a regular part of the agency’s intake security process.

Beyond the scan volume, the Sheriff’s Office reported that the presence of the scanner itself changed behavior. CLEARPASS C.i. became not only a detection tool, but also a deterrent against attempts to bring contraband into the jail.

“In the past 2.5 years we have completed 517 scans, averaging over 17 per month.”

Sheriff Clint Perzee.Head of Iroquois County Sheriff’s Office

Operational Success

The implementation of CLEARPASS C.i. helped the agency strengthen safety, improve intake screening, and address contraband risks within the physical limitations of an older jail facility. The system supported a more proactive approach to contraband prevention by giving officers better visibility before an individual entered the holding population.

The deterrent value of the scanner became an important part of the outcome. When arrestees understand that body scanning technology is part of the intake process, attempts to conceal prohibited items may decrease before they reach the cell block. For correctional teams, that preventive effect can be just as important as detection itself.

“Just having the scanner is a deterrent to arrestees attempting to smuggle items into the jail.”

Sheriff Clint Perzee.Head of Iroquois County Sheriff’s Office

A Practical Model for County Jail Screening

The Iroquois County case shows that effective contraband detection does not always require the largest system. It requires the right system for the facility, the workflow, and the threat environment. Many county jails were built decades before today’s contraband challenges emerged, and they may not have the space or infrastructure for large screening installations.

CLEARPASS C.i. brings body scanning capability to facilities where space is limited but the need for safer intake screening remains urgent. For sheriff’s offices and detention centers working within physical and budget constraints, the system provides a compact, targeted, and practical solution for detecting concealed narcotics, weapons, and prohibited items.

By combining available funding, compact system design, and technology suited to real correctional workflows, Iroquois County Sheriff’s Office implemented a solution that supports its mission to protect inmates, staff, and the taxpayers of Iroquois County.

From Compact Body Scanning to Complete Correctional Security

CLEARPASS C.i. demonstrates how advanced X-ray screening can be adapted to the realities of county jails, detention centers, and correctional facilities where space is limited but contraband risks remain high. It gives agencies a practical way to improve intake screening, strengthen deterrence, and support safer daily operations.

LINEV Systems also offers a broader range of people screening solutions designed for correctional environments, border control, customs, and other high-security facilities. These systems help detect narcotics, weapons, and prohibited items concealed on or inside the body while supporting efficient, non-contact screening workflows.

To explore the full range of CLEARPASS body scanning solutions, visit our dedicated site: clearpass-bodyscan.com.