Counter-UAS · Correctional Facilities

Drone Detection for Correctional Facilities

Inexpensive commercial drones surveil corrections yards and drop contraband over the wall. A correctional facility needs to know when a drone is in its airspace, where it is going, and where the operator is, then respond under a pre-planned operations plan within the authority the agency holds. We design, install, and integrate the detection layers for the facility and train the staff who run them.

Discuss Your Requirement Counter-UAS Overview
The Architecture

Detect, Identify, Track Over the Wall

Contraband drops happen at short range and low altitude, often at night. The layers below are combined to fit the facility, the threat, and the budget.

RDR

Radar

Non-cooperative detection and tracking of small UAS, cuing EO/IR sensors and feeding a unified common operating picture.

RF

RF Spectrum Sensing

Passive detection and characterization of UAS control and video links. No emissions.

AC

Acoustic Detection

Passive microphone arrays that detect and locate small UAS by acoustic signature, including drones that emit no RF. Strongest at short range and low altitude.

EO

EO/IR Confirmation

Visual classification and confirmation of detected tracks for informed response decisions, day and night.

RID

Remote ID Monitoring

Broadcast Remote ID sensing integrated into the airspace picture for identification and pattern-of-life awareness.

Authority and Funding

What Changed for State and Local Corrections

Authority

In December 2025, the SAFER SKIES Act amended 6 U.S.C. § 124n to extend counter-UAS detection and mitigation authority to state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement under a federal framework of authorized systems, training, and certification. We recommend each agency confirm its operating authority with its own counsel.

Funding

FEMA funds state, local, tribal, and territorial counter-UAS capability through the FY2027 Counter-UAS Grant Program, administered through each State Administrative Agency. As a matter of company policy, we do not write grant applications or specifications for procurements we intend to bid on. Authority & Funding →

Counter-UAS mitigation capabilities are restricted to organizations and personnel possessing applicable legal authority and are subject to federal requirements governing authorized systems, training, certification, and employment. Counter-UAS detection technologies may be available to federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial organizations subject to applicable law, technology-specific considerations, and each agency's authority. Before we quote, we ask each agency to identify the authority under which it will operate the system.
Common Questions

Questions Buyers Ask

Can a state prison or county jail use drone detection?
Counter-UAS detection technologies may be available to state, local, tribal, and territorial organizations subject to applicable law, technology-specific considerations, and each agency's authority. We ask each agency to identify its operating authority before we quote.
Can a correctional facility jam or take down a drone?
Only an agency with mitigation authority may do so. The SAFER SKIES Act extended detection and mitigation authority to state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement under a federal framework of authorized systems, training, and certification.
Can a FEMA grant pay for correctional drone detection?
FEMA funds state, local, tribal, and territorial counter-UAS capability through the FY2027 Counter-UAS Grant Program, administered through each State Administrative Agency. Eligibility is set by the program and the State Administrative Agency, not by the vendor.
Will you write our grant application?
No. As a matter of company policy, we do not write grant applications or specifications for procurements we intend to bid on. If your agency has an approved requirement and funding, we quote, deliver, train, and sustain against it, with country of origin and configuration documentation for the grant file.
Get In Touch

Discuss Your Requirement

Send the requirement, the site, the authority you operate under, and the timeframe. We acknowledge inquiries within one business day and confirm next steps after reviewing the requirement. If we are not the right fit, we will tell you.

Discuss Your Requirement (910) 240-2901
Email · contracts@heightenedsenses.net Location · Sneads Ferry, NC 28460