A correspondent who asserts that he's part of a military drug task force has submitted his views about the dreaded "drug sniffer," that piece of scientific quackery that's being used to intimidate so many prison visitors. We're reporting the correspondent's views even though it's obvious that he's been indoctrinated by the propaganda of the government and manufacturer. The so-called "ion scanner," is said to be an "ion mobility spectrometer" (as if there really was such a thing). It's described as containing an electronically charged cylinder equipped with so-called focusing rings. Ionized molecules are collected on a swab and placed in the "scanner." After being heated to a reported 191 degrees Celsius (375°F), they are supposedly "drawn" (attracted) through the device which supposedly measures the speed of the ions. Supposedly, this information identifies the presence of molecules of drugs. Everyone realizes that the gadget doesn't really work on individual visitors, but the correspondent asserts that the Coast Guard has "used ion scanners for years and has discovered thousands of tons of drugs." We admit that the gizzmo may be a useful screening tool to survey bulk shipments in order to suggest if drugs may be present. If so, they would be legitimately tested in a genuinely scientific way. For the miniscule traces of substances which might cling to a visitor's hands or clothing, the device must be considered a fraud. What's more, the way the manufacturer urges prisons to use the machine, clearly is an intimidation tactic intended to threaten and terrorize visitors. We strongly urge people who have been falsely identified by the gadget (and there are tens of thousands of them) to sue the manufacturer(s) and the individual guard(s) who conducted the intrusion(s). Assert that the product is defective and defective as used, and that it is dangerous. Assert that it's a fraud and that operators and the manufacturers know that it's a fraud but continue to use it solely to violate the visitor's due process rights. In that regard, the manufacturer is an accomplice to the state's unconstitutional conduct.

You are welcome to use or republish any of our material.
Please give www.prisoners.com credit as the source.