The Bureau of Inspections and Intelligence

Contraband Interdiction Unit

The Contraband Interdiction Unit was established within the Bureau of Inspections and Intelligence in 1993. The unit's mission is to provide a safer environment for employees, inmates and visitors by discouraging the introduction of contraband into state correctional facilities.

The unit conducts unannounced interdiction operations at Department of Corrections facilities in cooperation with the Florida Highway Patrol canine teams. During these operations, employees, visitors, inmates, vehicles and areas on Department grounds are searched for contraband. Employees, visitors and inmates are also subject to inspection by a chemical detection unit that uses technology referred to as Ion Mobility Spectrometry to find traces of illegal drugs on persons and objects. During the past fiscal year, a second system was purchased, enabling the bureau to conduct operations simultaneously at two locations. Interdiction operations during the last two fiscal years yielded the following results:

Safety and Risk Management

The Safety and Risk Management Unit was established to promote increased safety awareness throughout the Department. It reduces employee and inmate job-related accidents and limits risk losses by enhancing fire and occupational safety. The Safety and Risk Management Unit has been under the direction of the Inspector General's Office for the last two years.

• Inspections
  
  As in the past, the major thrust of the Department's risk management effort in fiscal year 1997-98 was to eliminate fire and occupational safety hazards at state correctional facilities. Annual inspections at new and existing correctional institutions help provide a safer environment for employees, volunteers and inmates. The Office of Safety and Risk Management also continues to conduct the Safety and Risk Management portion of the Management Reviews conducted biennially at all correctional facilities.
  
  
• Training
  
  Training sessions on loss control management were held in each region. This training included Casual Report Series analysis, review of Workers' Compensation claims, review of the Department's safety manual, and lost property training. Similar training will be scheduled in fiscal 1998-99 to insure all field safety staff have this required training. Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus training, which demonstrates rescue and evacuation techniques from smoke-filled environments, was offered to all institutions through the Florida State Fire College. Several sessions of Basic Fire and Occupational Safety orientation were conducted along with Office of Health Services environmental safety orientation. Required training in building evacuation techniques was conducted for staff at Central Office.
  
  
• Safety Manual
  
  The Department of Corrections Safety and Environmental Health Manual was revised again this year. Using input from field staff, the unit modified forms and procedures to increase the productivity of facility safety officers in their unique position. Training courses for each region will be held in the next fiscal year to make all facilities aware of the many changes in the manual.
  
  
• Future Endeavors
  
  This next fiscal year will see several changes to the Office of Safety and Risk Management. In order to take advantage of the Department's technology, the safety manual will be placed on the DC web page. The management reviews that are conducted by the safety unit have been updated and installed on field laptops. This affords the ability to produce more timely reports in the field.
  
  

Significant accomplishment during the past year included the following:

• Construction inspections - 105
• Fire and occupational safety and management review building inspections - 5,200.
• 195 hours of training in safety and loss control conducted by the Safety and Risk Management Unit.