Drones over prisons

The justice ministries of the German states consider drones in the vicinity of prisons to be a security risk. According to a statement by the Bavarian department to the Deutsche Presse-Agentur in Munich, even inexpensive entry-level models of drones can be used to scout out escape routes from prisons. In addition, there is a risk that prisons could be supplied with items such as cell phones, drugs or weapons via drones, posing a threat to the security of correctional facilities.

Drones over prisons nationwide

In Bavaria, drone flights near prisons were observed by the end of November, which is more than the previous year. In North Rhine-Westphalia, the Ministry of Justice reported drone overflights through November. Some German states have taken measures to guard against this danger, such as reinforcing window security in Hessian prisons with fine mesh to prevent drones from smuggling in objects.

Other German states have also recorded drone flights near or over detention centers. In Hamburg, there were two such flights by the end of November, in Baden-Württemberg four, and in Saxony-Anhalt three. In comparison, there were no such incidents in previous years. In Berlin and Hesse, no drones have been reported yet this year.

Authorities have already issued overflight bans, but monitoring and enforcement is causing difficulties. In addition to the risk of smuggling objects (weapons, drugs) and scouting escape routes, drone flights over prisons also entail the risk of violating inmates' personal rights, for example by photographing them. Modern, professional drones are capable of carrying loads weighing up to 100 kg.

"Hard" geo-fencing is called for

North Rhine-Westphalia has called for the federal government to advocate at the European level for the legal implementation of "hard geo-fencing." This means that manufacturers of drones will be required to equip the devices with software that technically prevents the drones from flying in restricted airspace. Overflights near correctional facilities are already prohibited.

Although the total number of reported drone flights over and around prisons appears low, policymakers want to eliminate the risk of a successful smuggling attempt as completely as possible. For this reason, states are investing in drone defense systems, even though drones have never been sighted in some prisons. The expansion of such systems is progressing, regardless of whether they have already been deployed.