Summary: Correctional leaders need to understand the increasing risks of drone prison scenarios and how smugglers exploit drones’ speed, anonymity, and payload capacity to bypass conventional security methods. It's not possible to rely on training officers to spot incoming drones anymore.

Contraband such as drugs, phones, weapons, and cash is delivered by drones into correctional facilities at an increasing rate. That's why it's important in prison environments to understand drone detection systems.

Understanding Drone Activity: Authorized Flights vs. Potential Threats

Not all drone incursions are threats. Within a controlled perimeter, some drones may be authorized. But on the other hand, many drones are flown by uninformed or unskilled pilots.

A primary drone threat is that even though drone flights are regulated to protect the safety of the public, enforcement is difficult.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a division of the Department of Transportation that regulates U.S. airspace, categorizes drone flights as either commercial or recreational. What constitutes a commercial flight leaves some room for interpretation, but recreational flights are purely for enjoyment.

Commercial drone flights have made a substantial positive impact in areas like agriculture, law enforcement, and construction. But as with all good technology, some use it irresponsibly or figure out a way to exploit it.

In the last decade, drones have become cheaper and more readily available, and while the FAA continues to educate the public on safe drone use, the clueless and careless recreational/hobbyist pilots continue to represent the bulk of drone-related incidents in the US today. One significant concern is that a drone weighing even a few pounds falling from hundreds of feet in the air can injure or kill someone and/or cause property damage.

Drone Threats by Industry

To summarize, while not all drones are threats per se, their presence can raise important safety and security considerations in most environments where people or property are present. Most security teams focus on “two-dimensional” protection like fences, gates, and walls, but drones introduce a third dimension that organizations should factor into both their physical and cybersecurity plans.

Here is a breakdown of drone threats implications by industry, which further explores the question posed in the title of this blog – “Why are Drones a Security and Safety Concern?

Drone Threats at Stadiums

Stadium security managers carry the enormous responsibility of protecting tens of thousands of people at once. To support them, the FAA issues Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) that limit where drones can fly during major events. For example, MLB, NFL, certain NCAA, and NASCAR events fall under a three-nautical-mile restriction beginning one hour before the scheduled start and lasting until one hour after the event ends. A recent FAA notice (JO 7210.960) expands and clarifies how these drone-specific TFRs are applied, reflecting growing concern over unauthorized flights in crowded environments. Despite these measures, restrictions are often ignored, leaving security teams to contend with drones that enter restricted airspace.

Drone threats at stadiums include:

Mass panic if anything dropped over a crowd
Accidental drone crash
Event disruption if a drone flies over the stadium walls
Unauthorized recording during the event or at the practice facilities
Malicious event/attack with a weaponized drone(s)

Drone Threats at Critical Infrastructure (Chemical Plants, Utilities, Oil & Gas)

Critical infrastructure operators face constant pressure to safeguard facilities that, if disrupted, could endanger public health, safety, and economic stability. Despite FAA restrictions and federal laws protecting certain assets, drones remain a growing threat due to their accessibility and ability to bypass traditional ground-based security measures.

Drones can penetrate restricted perimeters, conduct unauthorized surveillance, and deliver payloads directly over sensitive sites. For example, a drone crash near a chemical storage tank or refinery flare stack could cause catastrophic damage, while reconnaissance flights can expose vulnerabilities or confidential intellectual property to competitors.

Drone threats at critical infrastructure include:

Accidental drone crash near volatile materials, causing fire or explosion
Surveillance of plant layouts, security patrols, and weak points
Delivery of hazardous or incendiary payloads
Disruption of power grid operations or utility service continuity
Insider collusion using drones for sabotage or data theft

Drone Threats in Disaster Management (Wildfires, Hurricanes, Medical Heliports)

During emergencies, airspace is a lifeline—used by helicopters, planes, and drones operated by first responders. Unauthorized drones can interrupt these critical operations, putting lives at risk. The FAA establishes TFRs over wildfire zones and disaster sites, but untrained or careless drone operators often ignore them.

There have been collisions between unauthorized drones and first responder flights. As a result, firefighting aircraft battling wildfires have been grounded mid-operation after drones were spotted in the area, delaying containment efforts and putting communities in greater danger. Similarly, unauthorized drones near hospital heliports or in hurricane-damaged regions can obstruct life-saving medical flights and complicate search and rescue missions.

Drone threats in disaster management include:

Grounding of firefighting aircraft during wildfires
Delays to medical evacuations and hospital helicopter landings
Interference with hurricane or storm recovery flights
Unauthorized recording of sensitive or traumatic events
Potential misuse for looting reconnaissance in disaster-hit communities

Drone Threats at Mass Gatherings / Protests

Drones are often flown at mass gatherings like fairs and protests to get aerial shots and footage of the crowd, which usually ends up online or in the news.

As we saw in 2020, protests can quickly escalate to riots and looting when nefarious participants engage. Drones can be used as “eyes in the sky” to direct.

Drone threats at Mass Gatherings include:

Crowds to where the police are not to avoid confrontation
Angry mobs to where the police are for harassment or attack purposes
Looters to where the police are not

Drone Threats at Prisons

Highly fortified Correctional facilities cannot keep drones out. The FAA restricted airspace over some Federal Bureau of Prisons facilities, and several states passed laws specific to drone flight over facilities. However, this doesn’t stop contraband pilots because the potential payout is so high.

Correctional facilities can serve as drug distribution hubs that correlate with local gang activity. Because drone contraband traffic can follow a senior gang leader inmate, a low-drone-traffic facility today may become a high-traffic facility with the transfer of a single inmate. If drone activity isn’t identified quickly enough to respond and prevent an incursion, a facility may go on lockdown, which can require a time-consuming and resource-intensive response effort.

Drone threats at prisons include:

Contraband delivery (drugs, weapons, cell phones, tools to assist in inmate escape)
Surveillance to determine staff routines and contraband delivery opportunities

Drone Threats at Airports

The FAA imposed strict regulations about drone flights near an airport for obvious safety reasons. Still, there have been countless close calls between drones and aircraft. Any time a drone is spotted near an airport, operations are often shut down, which can lead to many millions in financial losses.

Drone threats at airports include:

Accidental drone collision with manned aircraft
Malicious event/attack

Drone Threats at Corporate Campuses and Data Centers

Corporate campuses safeguard enormous amounts of valuable data and therefore invest heavily in both physical and cybersecurity measures to keep bad actors out. However, most have not accounted for the three-dimensional challenge that drones introduce.

Drone threats at corporate campuses include:

Intellectual property theft through rogue access points dropped onto rooftops
Malicious event/attack on critical infrastructure and high-value personnel/customers
Unauthorized camera surveillance in conference rooms or other sensitive areas

Drone Threats at Other Critical Infrastructures

DHS recognizes 16 critical infrastructure sectors “whose assets, systems, and networks, whether physical or virtual, are considered so vital to the United States that their incapacitation or destruction would have a debilitating effect on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination thereof.” Most, if not all, of them are vulnerable to drone threats.

Drone threats to other critical infrastructure include:

Accidental drone crash
Intellectual property theft
Unauthorized video posted publicly
Surveillance to identify weaknesses to plan a future attack
Physical attack with weaponized drones

Drone Threats at Military Installations and Operations

Small, inexpensive drones, once viewed mainly as consumer gadgets, are now a central part of modern warfare. In Ukraine, both sides are using off-the-shelf and modified drones for reconnaissance, targeting, and even as loitering munitions. Beyond the battlefield, drones also pose significant risks at military bases, where unauthorized or wayward UAVs can collide with manned aircraft, disrupt operations, and compromise safety. Small, inexpensive drones, once viewed mainly as consumer gadgets, are now a central part of modern warfare.

Consumer-grade drone threats in the military include:

Drop hand grenades or IEDs onto troops
Surveil troop locations/movement
Directly, insurgents during a conflict
Collision with a manned aircraft

military drone threat

These examples cover many of the industries where drones can create challenges, but they’re not the only ones. Any sector that values security, privacy, or continuity of operations could be impacted.

Drone Threats at Middle and High Schools

Middle and high schools are particularly vulnerable because they concentrate large groups of students in open spaces such as athletic fields, playgrounds, and parking lots—making them an attractive target for both careless and malicious drone operators.

Drone threats at middle and high schools include:

Student Safety Risks: A drone crash on school grounds can injure students or staff.
Privacy Violations: Unauthorized aerial footage of students may be recorded and shared online.
Bullying or Harassment: Drones can be used by individuals to intimidate or harass students during outdoor activities.
Event Disruption: Sports events, graduations, or assemblies may be interrupted by flyovers.
Malicious Intent: Weaponized or payload-equipped drones could be used for targeted harm.

Drone Threats at Colleges and Universities

Colleges and universities operate as open campuses with thousands of students, faculty, and visitors moving freely—creating both opportunities and vulnerabilities. With advanced research facilities, athletic complexes, and sometimes critical infrastructure like medical centers, drones introduce risks beyond student safety.

Drone threats at colleges and universities include:

Unauthorized Surveillance: Espionage of research labs, particularly in science, technology, or defense-funded projects.
Mass Gathering Risks: College stadiums and large events (concerts, commencements) draw crowds similar to professional sports venues.
Student Privacy Concerns: Unauthorized drone footage of dormitories, recreation spaces, or student demonstrations.
Cybersecurity Attacks: Drones equipped with rogue access points can compromise campus networks.
Protests and Civil Unrest: Drones used as “eyes in the sky” to monitor, disrupt, or escalate gatherings.

The next logical question is, what can I do about these drone threats?

There are a few actions that you can take. One is to book a meeting with one of our drone incursion experts. Another is to subscribe to our blog to get the latest news and events related to drone risk management.

Drone Response for Public Safety Webinar CTA

Prison Drone Threats FAQs

What kinds of contraband are delivered by drones into prisons?
Drone deliveries into facilities frequently carry cell phones, illicit drugs, cash, weapons, escape tools, and other dangerous items that compromise security.

Why are drones becoming a preferred method for smuggling into prisons?
Drones offer speed, anonymity, the ability to bypass traditional perimeter controls, and low pilot risk. Smugglers can launch near a facility, fly in a payload, and avoid direct detection.

What detection technologies are available to counter drone-based contraband drops at correctional facilities?
Common systems include radio-frequency (RF) systems, radar, electro-optical/infrared cameras, and acoustic sensors to detect drone flight, communications or blade noise. A multi-layered strategy is most effective. (National Institute of Justice)

What are the main operational or legal challenges for prisons deploying drone detection or mitigation systems?
Challenges include: legal constraints on interfering with drones or jamming signals (FAA/EASA rules, FCC regulations), cost and complexity of layered systems, training staff, integrating alerts with response protocols and the rapidly evolving capabilities of drone operators. (National Institute of Justice)

How should correctional facility leadership approach implementing a drone-detection strategy?
Leaders should conduct a comprehensive threat and risk assessment (drone event frequency, flight paths, payloads), define detection and response protocols, train staff, allocate budget, deploy layered sensors, integrate with existing security systems, and maintain legal compliance.

What are the real-world case studies of correctional facilities deploying drone detection systems?
The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) deployed the AirWarden system from AeroDefense across multiple state facilities, which helped reduce illegal drone activity. (AeroDefense) These illustrate how detection systems are already being used in the field.

What legal or regulatory issues should corrections facilities consider when using drone detection or mitigation technologies?

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) notes that interfering with drones (jamming, takeover) raises FAA/FCC/FAA regulation issues — detection is legally simpler than mitigation. (National Institute of Justice)
Facilities must consider privacy, data retention, sharing alerts with law enforcement, and pilot-tracking evidence handling (to support prosecution).
While detection is increasingly practical, full mitigation (jamming or capture) may still face legal/regulatory hurdles.

What are the best-practice steps for a corrections facility looking to implement drone detection for contraband prevention?

Conduct a threat assessment: map likely drone flight paths, assess previous contraband drop incidents, estimate payloads, frequency, and pilot behavior. (DRONELIFE)
Define response protocols: what happens when an alert comes in — facility lockdown, staff deployment, law-enforcement coordination, evidence collection.
Ensure integration: the detection system integrates with the command center, email/text alerts, and historical data/analytics for pattern identification.
Train staff and maintain operational readiness: staff must be able to interpret alerts, respond appropriately, maintain the system, and act quickly.
Review legal/regulatory compliance: verify the system is legally deployable in your jurisdiction; ensure data retention and sharing processes are aligned.
Monitor performance & continuously improve: use analytics and history to identify patterns of drone incursions, adjust alert zones, sensor placement, and response tactics over time. (AeroDefense)

General Drone Threat FAQs

What types of threats do drones pose to organizations and infrastructure?

Physical impact: Drones can crash into people or equipment, causing injury or damage.
Contraband delivery / illicit payloads: For example, at prisons, drones deliver drugs, phones & weapons. (AeroDefense)
Surveillance/espionage: Drones can capture imagery/videos of sensitive sites or map infrastructure for later attacks.
Cyber threats: Drones can carry devices that sniff, spoof or jam wireless networks and communications. (AeroDefense)
Air-space disruption: Especially near airports, stadiums or critical infrastructure, drone incursions can halt operations or cause safety risks. (AeroDefense)

Which sectors are most vulnerable to drone threats?

Prisons / correctional facilities: Drones deliver contraband and enable surveillance.
Critical infrastructure (power plants, substations, data centers): Risks include surveillance, payload delivery, and physical disruption.
Airports & aviation: Drones flying in restricted zones pose collision risks or force shutdowns.
Mass gatherings/stadiums/events: Drones may drop items, film unauthorized, cause panic or be used for malicious acts.
Corporate campuses / high-value sites: Intellectual property theft, surveillance of secure areas, or payload threats.

Are all drone threats intentional and malicious?

No. Drone threats often fall into three categories:

- Clueless: unaware of rules or consequences
- Careless: operating recklessly despite awareness
- Criminal/malicious: intent to harm, disrupt, or steal.

However, even ‘non-malicious’ flights can escalate into a threat if they violate airspace or interfere with operations. That is why pilot location is essential.

What is the first step an organization should take to defend against drone threats?

Conduct a threat and risk assessment:

- Gather historical drone sightings or incidents.
- Identify what assets you need to protect (people, property, operations) and what drone capabilities (payload, flight range, stealth) are relevant.
- Quantify potential damage, cost of disruption, and probability of occurrence.

With this assessment in place, you can match the level of investment in detection/response to the actual risk.

What are emerging or less obvious drone threat vectors I should be aware of?

- Cyber-attacks via drones: drones can fly network-sniffers, spoof WiFi, and drop rogue access points.
- Payloads beyond obvious: small drones can deliver drugs, phones, weapons, or even bombs. For prisons, the blog gives specific examples of what drones can carry.
- Pilot location/operator anonymity: Much of the threat comes not from the drone itself but the unknown pilot controlling it.
- Low-signature and autonomous drones: Drones with minimal RF footprint or autonomous flight that bypass standard detection need special consideration.