HAGERSTOWN, M.D. — The state of Maryland has begun to deploy dogs to sniff out illicit alcohol in correctional facilities.
Robert Green is the secretary of Maryland’s Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. He tells The Washington Post the new team of canines was created in part after he saw an increase in alcohol-related activities and overdoses during the coronavirus pandemic.
Many prisoners were having their meals brought to their cells, increasing the access to ingredients that can be used to make alcohol. The newspaper reports that since the creation of the four-dog team, recoveries of alcohol have tripled.