Executive Summary

Illicit drone drops have become a major threat to correctional facilities, enabling contraband delivery of phones, narcotics, blades, and other tools that fuel gang activity, overdoses, and violence. Most correctional agencies cannot jam or shoot down drones, so the most practical defense is early detection, rapid response, and evidence capture.

UAS Sentry is a proven, under $10,000 solution designed specifically for correctional facilities. It passively detects drones via Remote ID, alerts staff instantly of drone and pilot location, logs evidence for prosecution, and provides analytics so facilities can understand patterns of drone activity. A single unit typically covers a two-mile¹ radius, enough for most correctional facilities. Additional units can be easily added to create a mesh network for redundancy and broader monitoring.

Key Benefits

Affordable: Under $10,000 per UAS Sentry receiver.
Immediate ROI: Even the prevention of a single contraband incident that would otherwise necessitate a lockdown and comprehensive search can fully offset the cost of implementing UAS Sentry. Industry estimates place the cost of a facility-wide lockdown and search in the tens of thousands of dollars when factoring in overtime, diverted staff hours, and operational disruptions. Beyond these direct financial impacts, such incidents also elevate stress levels among staff and inmates, potentially increasing safety risks. Viewed against these tangible and intangible costs, the return on investment in UAS Sentry is both immediate and compelling.
Independent Connectivity: The UAS Sentry LTE unit communicates with the cloud exclusively through a secure cellular connection. This architecture eliminates any requirement to interface with the facility’s internal network, thereby removing risk to existing IT infrastructure. By operating entirely outside the institutional network perimeter, UAS Sentry also reduces the cyber-attack surface and aligns with best practices for correctional security and IT compliance.
Effective Coverage: Typical two-mile detection radius per unit¹ and is scalable with additional receivers. In most cases a single UAS Sentry is sufficient. In rural areas 4 - 5 mile coverage is not unusual.
Actionable Alerts: Real-time SMS/email notifications with geofence intelligence.
Analytics: Built-in reporting to show, for example, drone activity by time of day, highlighting high-risk after-midnight hours and type of drones being detected.
Open API: Seamless integration with platforms like Airwise, Aloft, Caltopo, DroneIQ (Predictive Drone Threat Intelligence), with flexibility to add RF or radar later.
Pilot Tracking: Reports the pilot’s location—even if in a moving car—so law enforcement can respond directly.
Proven Deterrence: Once apprehensions are made, word spreads and attempts usually decline, reducing the need for costly layered systems.

¹ Actual detection range may be lower or higher depending on environment (buildings, terrain/foliage), RF noise/interference, mounting height, and the drone's Remote ID transmitter power and orientation.