u.s. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Prisons

JUN 1 9 2008
Washillgtoll, DC 20534

EJ Hurst II
550M Ritchie Highway
PMB 124
Severna

RE:

Park, MD 21146

For Further Inquiry Contact:
Federal Bureau of Prisons
320 First street. N.W.
Room 841, HOLC Building
Washington, D.C. 20534
Attn: FOIA/Privacy Act Office

Request for Information, FOIA Request No. 2008-06491

Dear Mr. Hurst:

This is in response to your Freedom of Information Act
request for a copy of any/all documents or information regarding
the Bureau of Prisons suspension of the use of the Ion
Spectrometry device at any facility, regional, or national level.
We have located and are providing four (4) pages of information
that are responsive to your request. No pages have been excised
or withheld.
I trust this has been responsive to your request. If you
have any questions or concerns please contact Wilson J. Moorer,
Paralegal at 202-353-4879.

Section
Enclosures: 4 pages
cc: File

u.s. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Prisons

Washington,

DC

20534

April 10, 2008

MEMORANDUM

FROM:

FOR ALL

CHIEF

EXECUTIVE

J~.':ON~E~'~S~

OFFICERS

CORRECTIONALPROGRAMS

DIRECTOR
DIVISION

THOMAS R. KANE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
INFOI~TION, POLICY, AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIVISION
SUBJECT:

SuspE!nsion of Use of Ion Spectrometry

Equipment

This memorandum
is to advise you that you are to immediately
suspend all use of clny ion spectrometry
drug detection
equipment.
The software for these machines requires correction,
and we have
contacted
the manufclcturersto
ensure they make the necessary
modifications.
After the problems associated
with these machines
are resolved, we will notify you regarding bringing the equipment
back online.
Any visitor whose visiting privileges
are currently
suspended as
a result of the use of ion spectrometry
drug detection
equipment
may request the Warden consider reinstatement
of visiting
privileges.
In addition,
inmates can make requests to unit staff
to have such a visitor considered
for reinstatement
of visiting
privileges.
Inmates are to be advised through normal staff-toinmate communications
channels
(such as, town hall meetings)
that
they can make such a request.
Appropriate
staff will review each request from an inmate or a
visitor and make a ~'ritten recommendation
to the Warden as to
whether privileges
~Ihould be reinstated.
Reinstatement
of
visiting privileges
should not occur in those instances where the
basis of the suspension
was not due to the use of ion
spectrometry
drug dE!tection equipment
(e.g., the suspension
is
based on inappropriate
behavior in the visiting room).

In addition, ion spectrometry
drug detection equipment may not be
used to test for the presence of illegal substances on inmates,
on inmates' personal belongings,
in housing units, or in work
areas.
Please maintain all ion spectrometry
drug detection
all relevant documentation
until further notice.

equipment

and

We have attached talking points for use by staff in addressing
questions from inmates and visitors and for posting as a notice
to inmates.

Attachment

Ion SpectrometryDrug DetectionEquipment

We have discovered that our ion spectrometry drug detection equipment has software
problems.

The Officeof SecurityTechnology(OST)has notifiedthe manufacturersof these
problemsand they are workingon correctiveaction.
The Bureauof Prisonsis suspendingthe use of ion spectrometrydrug detection
equipmentuntil the problemsare correctedby the manufacturersand the results are
confirmedby OST.
Inmatescan make a requestto unit staff that the Wardenconsiderreinstatinga visitor's
visiting privilegesif the visitor is currentlyunder suspensionbased solelyon a positive
test by ion spectrometrydrugdetectionequipment.
Likewise,the suspendedvisitor can make a writtenrequestto the Wardento consider
reinstatinghis or her visitingprivilegesif the visitoris currentlyunder suspensionbased
solelyon a positive test by ion spectrometrydrugdetectionequipment.
The Wardenwill designatespecificstaff to investigateand confirmwhetherthe
suspensioncUITentlyin effecton a specificvisitorwas based on the use of ion
spectrometrydrug detectionequipmentandwas not taken becauseof a violationof the
institution's rules or nractices.

Page 1 of 1

Use of Ion Spectrometry Equipment Suspended, IPPA Division, Agency Topics

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IPPA Division, Agency Topics

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HomeDage

Use of Ion Spectrometry Equipment Suspended
On April 10, 2008, Assistant Directors Joyce K. Conley, CPO, and Thomas R.
Kane, IPPA, issued a joint memorandum to all BOP CEOs advising that the use
of any ion spectrometry drug detection equipment has been suspended effective
immediately Bureau-wide due to problems with the machines' software. The
manufacturers have been asked to make all necessary corrections/modifications.
Atter the problems have been fixed and confirmed by the BOP's Office of Security
Technology,CEOs willbe contacted with respect to bringingthe equipment back
online. Until further notice, institutions will retain all ion spectrometry drug
detectionequipmentand all relevantdocumentation.
In those cases where a visitor's visiting privileges are currently suspended as a
result of the use of ion spectrometry drug detection equipment, the visitor may
request the Warden consider reinstatement of visiting privileges, and/or an inmate
can make requests for reinstatement of visiting privileges for such a visitor directly
to unit staff. Inmates ar~ to be informed via normal staff-to-inmate
communications channels (e.g., town hall meetings) that they can make such
requests. Talking points are available for staff use with inmates or visitors and for
posting notices to inmates.
Appropriate staff will review each request from an inmate or a visitor and make a
written recommendation to the Warden as to whether privileges should be
reinstated. Visiting privileges should not be reinstated in those cases where the
use of ion spectrometry drug detection equipment was not the basis for the
suspension (e.g., the suspension is based instead on inappropriate behavior in
the visiting room).
Additionally, at this time, ion spectrometry drug detection devices may not be
used to test for the presence of illegal substances on inmates, on inmates'
personal belongings, in housing units, or in work areas.
Date last updated:

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04-23-2008

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