Life in Prison
Being on the Hot List
In prisons nationwide, certain inmates are monitored more than others because of previous behavior like dirty urines or drug possession. Intelligence information may meet the reasonable suspician standard and suggest a particular's inmates possible involvement with illegal substances, through monitored phone calls, confidential informants, mail monitoring, financial transactions and urine surveillance.
"I was on the hot list for 18 months because I got a dirty for weed," a prisoner tells us. " They pissed me every month, sometimes twice a month the whole time, shook my cell down regularly, harrassed my visitors and pulled me off the compound at random times to strip search me and drug wand me."
Most prisons use an ion spectrometry device to test for the presence of illegal substances on inmates, their personal belongings, housing units and work areas.
"They were on me 24/7, I couldn't even move without them monitoring me," the prisoner says. "I could be going to a visit and they would harass me."
Reasonable supsician exists if the facts and circumstances known to the staff member warrant additional searches or testing. Hunches, gut feelings and mere suspician alone, do not meet the reasonable suspician standard, However, such feeling legitimately support continued observation, investigation and or questioning, which may provide evidence to meet the reasonable suspician standard.
"Basically they can harass you whenever they want," the prisoner says. "Especially if you got busted for drugs in prison before. They figured if you smoked weed once, you'll most likely do it again."