State Sen. Ventura of Joliet proposes K-9 drug detection pilot program for Illinois prisons

State Sen. Rachel Ventura, D-Joliet, has proposed legislation to help stop illicit substances coming through prisons by mail.

The plan, proposed before a Senate committee Wednesday, calls for a K-9 mail drug detection pilot program.

“This pilot program can make serious strides in the ongoing effort to keep illicit substances out of incarceration facilities,” Ventura said in a news release from her office.

Venture said this proposal can address an ongoing issue, “as it will not only boost security but ensure individuals’ right to their mail is protected.”

Senate Bill 2417 would create a three-year K-9 unit pilot program to detect illicit substances in mail within the Illinois Department of Corrections at a minimum of one facility between Menard Correctional Center, Pinckneyville Correctional Center or the Western Illinois Correctional Center, according to the release.

The department previously employed K-9s at adult transition centers and the now-closed correctional centers in Dwight and Tamms but phased out the program in 2015 due to limited resources and impact, according to the release.

The pilot program would have guidelines in place, with each year focusing on gathering information about the number of illicit substances found in the facility, the health problems caused by exposure to substances, and the costs of running the program, according to the release.

In the second and third years of the proposed pilot program, the K-9 unit would be put into action at the facility.

After the completion of the program, IDOC will report to the General Assembly with a recommendation on whether the program should continue, expand or be stopped.

“The return of a K-9 unit for drug/contraband detection within IDOC is a crucial component in addressing the drug flow into the state prisons. K-9 detection units are a vital asset in drug interdiction, enhancing overall safety,” Scot Ward, president of the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Corrections Lodge 263, said in the release.

The plan was presented during a hearing in the Senate Appropriations-Public Safety and Infrastructure Committee.

Senate Bill 2417 awaits further action in the Senate.