Ion scanners must be made more reliable

The people who work at Auburn Correctional Facility face safety risks each day, so taking steps to protect them is important.

To do that, the New York state Department of Correctional Services last year intensified the effort to prevent contraband - including drugs - from entering facilities via inmate visitors. An integral component of that initiative has been the use of ion scanners, which are handheld devices designed to detect up to 40 different microscopic particles that come from contraband such as drugs or explosives.

It seems like a great use of technology, but there is one problem.