Committee hears that drones and smuggled phones remain a growing threat to Georgia prisons

Members of the House appropriations subcommittee focused intense questioning on contraband: how cell phones and drones reach inmates, who pays when civilians are arrested, and what the state can do within federal law.

GDC officials described an array of anti-contraband investments already in place: managed-access systems that identify and, in coordination with carriers, have resulted in thousands of phones being disabled; 23–25 drone-detection systems being installed across facilities; expanded canine deployments and a digital forensics unit that processed tens of thousands of devices in recent years.

OPS Director Matt Wolf told the committee that his unit saw thousands of callouts and that drones and 'throwovers' by civilians are the primary vector for contraband. He reported FY25 apprehensions and seizures that included thousands of phones and large quantities of narcotics — much testing positive for fentanyl.

Committee members and GDC agreed on two hard constraints: (1) GDC currently lacks legal authority under federal aviation and communications rules to actively mitigate or force down drones over prison airspace; and (2) counties often bear the immediate detention and housing costs when civilians are arrested for drone drops or related contraband incidents. GDC said it is lobbying federal authorities (FAA, FCC and Congressional offices) for mitigation authority while improving detection and local law-enforcement partnerships.

GDC requested funding for additional criminal-intelligence analysts to process the large volumes of mobile-device and managed-access data so investigators can map smuggling networks rather than only shutting individual phones down. Members suggested state-level support to local jails that take custody of arrested drone operators and urged continued investments in detection, canine response and mail-screening as interim measures.

GDC emphasized the technology is reducing activity where it is deployed, but cautioned that smugglers adapt; successful enforcement increases the need for downstream prosecution, detention and support for affected counties.