Ion Spectrometry Device Program (Program Statement 5524.01)

By Elizabeth Franklin-Best, Esq., and Christopher Zoukis, JD, MBA

Field	Value
Program Statement	5524.01
Subject	Ion Spectrometry Device Program
Effective / current edition	05-07-2026
Change notices	None. The May 7, 2026 statement carries no change notice.
Supersedes	PS 5522.02, Ion Spectrometry Device Program (4/1/2015), rescinded — PS 5524.01 at p. 1
Governing statute	The Program Statement cites none. The Bureau’s general duty to provide for the “safekeeping, care, and subsistence” and the “protection, instruction, and discipline” of people in its custody is 18 U.S.C. § 4042(a). Bringing drugs to a federal prison is a separate federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 1791.
28 C.F.R. anchor	The Program Statement cites none. The binding rules are 28 C.F.R. § 511.16(a), which names ion spectrometry devices as an authorized electronic search method; 28 C.F.R. § 511.17, which is the Warden’s authority to deny entry; and 28 C.F.R. §§ 540.51–540.52 on visiting.
Related BP forms	BP-A0728 Maintenance Summary · BP-A0729 Daily Pre/Post Operation Log · BP-A0730 Daily Testing Log · BP-A0731 Positive Alarm Log · BP-A0732 Notice of Denied Visitation (PS 5524.01 at p. 14). BOP does not publish blank copies of any of the five.
Official PDF	bop.gov/policy/progstat/5524_001.pdf

Checked against the BOP policy set · 2026-09-06. (Our verification methodology page is not yet published.)

The ion spectrometry device is the swab-and-wand machine at the visiting-room entrance: staff pass a hand-held collector over your pockets, waistband, cuffs and photo ID, and the machine reports whether it detects trace amounts of an illegal substance. Program Statement 5524.01 sets out who gets tested, how a positive reading has to be confirmed before it counts, what happens to the visit each time it happens, and how a visitor appeals a denial to the Warden.

Two things matter more than anything else on this page, and they are in the Bureau’s own words. First, the device tests for the presence of a substance, not for anyone’s use of it: “The ion spectrometry device is not used to detect an individual’s use of illegal substances” (PS 5524.01 at p. 1). Second, one reading is not a result — the policy defines a positive only as a sequence of three tests, and a single unconfirmed alarm is not supposed to cost anyone a visit. If you are here because a visit was just denied, read the consequences table below, then Inmate Visitation for how visiting works generally and Visiting Regulations (PS 5267.09) for the rules that govern the visit itself.

The rule itself: ion spectrometry screening

Everything in this section is transcribed from the Bureau’s own text at bop.gov/policy/progstat/5524_001.pdf.

What counts as a positive — the three-test definition

This is the definition the whole program runs on, from the Definitions section, PS 5524.01 at p. 2:

a. Confirmed Positive Test Result. This exists when there is an initial positive test for an illegal substance(s), followed by a clear test, and followed by a positive confirmation test for the same illegal substance(s).

Three separate events, in order: an initial positive, then a “clear” test proving the machine itself is not dirty, then a second positive for the same substance. Miss any one and there is no confirmed positive. The policy is explicit about the consequence when the middle step cannot be completed: “If a negative clear test cannot be obtained and testing is halted for the day, visitors should not be denied entry solely on an unconfirmed initial positive test result” (p. 9).

The same page also defines the standard that a confirmed positive may satisfy:

b. Reasonable suspicion. This exists when a staff member knows of facts and circumstances that warrant rational inferences by a person with correctional experience that a non-inmate may be engaged in, attempting, or about to engage in criminal or other prohibited activity.

“Hunches,” “gut feelings,” and “mere suspicion” alone do not meet the reasonable suspicion standard. However, such “feelings” legitimately support continued observation, investigation, and/or questioning, which may provide the necessary evidence to meet the reasonable suspicion standard.

What happens to the visit — the consequences ladder

This is the table people come looking for. It is transcribed exactly from PS 5524.01 at p. 10, under the heading “d. Denied Visitation.”

Occurrence	What the Program Statement says happens	Pin-cite
First Occurrence	“The visitor will be required to submit to a pat and/or vehicle search at the Warden’s discretion. If the visitor submits to the search with negative results, the Warden may allow the visit to occur in either a controlled or non-contact area. Refusal or failure to submit will result in the denial of the visit. The visitor may seek reentry after 48 hours.”	PS 5524.01 at p. 10
Second Occurrence	“The visitor’s visiting privilege will be suspended for 30 days.”	PS 5524.01 at p. 10
Third Occurrence	“The visitor’s visiting privilege will be suspended for 90 days.”	PS 5524.01 at p. 10
Fourth and Subsequent Occurrences	“The visitor’s visiting privilege will be suspended for 180 days.”	PS 5524.01 at p. 10

Four qualifications travel with that ladder, and each one changes how it lands.

The ladder applies only to confirmed positives that result in denial. The policy’s own framing is “Confirmed positive tests that result in denial of visitation will be handled as follows” (p. 10). A confirmed positive does not automatically produce a denial; denial “must be authorized by the Warden or designee” (p. 10), and the Warden’s other options are listed a page earlier: “further investigation, searches, controlled visitation, or denied visitation” (p. 9).

The count follows you between prisons. “Another institution may use a visitor’s previously confirmed positive test results from one institution as a foundation for increasing the consequences of the same inmate visitor incrementally, as indicated above” (p. 10). A first occurrence at one facility can be counted as a first occurrence when the second happens somewhere else.

A confirmed positive puts you on a mandatory retest list for one year. “Visitors who previously produced confirmed positive test results for an illegal substance(s) must be tested upon returning to visit for a period of one year from the date of the last confirmed positive test result. After the one-year period, the visitor should return to random testing” (p. 6). Note the clock: it runs from the last confirmed positive, so a second positive inside the year restarts it.

Anyone who came with you gets tested too. “If an inmate visitor produces a confirmed positive test result for an illegal substance(s) and is accompanied by other person(s) requesting to enter the institution, all persons accompanying that visitor should be tested prior to their entering the institution” (p. 6).

The confirmation procedure, step by step

PS 5524.01 at pp. 8–9 sets out what staff are directed to do between the first alarm and any consequence. Transcribed:

e. Initial Test Results. All initial test results, whether positive or negative, must be recorded on the BP-A0730, Ion Spectrometry Daily Testing Log. Visitors testing negative should be permitted entry unless prohibited for other reasons. Visitors testing positive must remain at the testing station for further processing under Section 8 of this program statement. (p. 8)

Then the clear test, at p. 9:

b. “Clear” Test Procedures. Operating staff must perform the following clear test to eliminate the possibility that equipment contamination caused an initial positive test result:

– Remove the original nitrile gloves and replace them with new ones. Wipe the surface area of the testing device with a pre-saturated wipe. – With a fresh testing device, test the actual gloves that will be worn by the operator. If this test is positive, repeat the clearing process until a negative test is obtained. If a negative test cannot be obtained, the Institution Program Coordinator should be contacted for possible troubleshooting, maintenance, or repair of the device. Once a negative test is obtained, proceed with the confirmation test. – If a negative clear test cannot be obtained and testing is halted for the day, visitors should not be denied entry solely on an unconfirmed initial positive test result.

And the confirmation test itself, same page:

c. Confirmation Test. Operating staff conduct a confirmation test of the visitor similar to the initial test. Confirmed positive test results must be documented on the BP-A0731, Ion Spectrometry Device Positive Alarm Log. Visitors testing negative should be permitted entry unless prohibited for other reasons.

A confirmation test that is negative for the substance(s) that initially tested positive but is positive for a new substance(s), must be treated as an initial positive test for the new substance(s). A confirmation test for the new substance(s) must be performed according to these procedures.

Two constraints on the visitor apply during the wait. From p. 8: “The visitor must remain directly in front of the testing station during the confirmation testing and may not use the restroom or otherwise attend to personal hygiene before confirmation testing. Any violation of this rule will result in a supervisor being notified to determine if the visitor will be allowed to visit on this date.” And, in the same passage: “The visitor is free to refuse confirmation testing and depart the institution grounds immediately.”

The alarm threshold — what the policy actually says, and what it does not

People arrive at this page expecting a number — nanograms, a cutoff, a sensitivity setting. The Program Statement does not publish one. What it publishes is this, at p. 4:

a. Positive Alarm Threshold Levels. To minimize positive test results based on a visitor’s casual contact with an illegal substance(s), the device will be set at the manufacturer’s recommended positive alarm threshold levels.

The threshold is whatever the manufacturer specifies for the model in use, and the Regional Program Coordinator’s approval is needed before an institution changes any of the standard settings (p. 4). Two related settings are stated outright and are worth knowing:

b. Audible Alarm Turned Off. Any audible alarms should be turned off to minimize possible embarrassment and disruption when registering a positive test result. Depending upon the model of the machine, this function may have to be performed by the Institution Program Coordinator. Instead, a positive test result will only appear to the operator on the screen and computer printout. (p. 4)

c. Printing Positive Test Results. The device should be set up to print all positive test results automatically for preservation.

The device will not be set to print negative test results. (p. 4)

The second half of that last line is the one to notice. Negative results are not printed. The daily testing log records every result, positive and negative (p. 8), but only positives generate a machine printout — so the paper trail is asymmetric by design.

What staff must tell you, and what they must not

The policy scripts the conversation at the testing station in unusual detail. From PS 5524.01 at pp. 7–8:

c. Explanations to Visitors. Staff must thoroughly explain the testing process to visitors, being certain to cover the following points:

– The device tests for the presence of illegal substances, not an individual’s use of illegal substances. – How the test will be conducted, e.g., “the hand-held device will be passed over your pants pockets, waist area, pants cuffs (or shoe area), and personal identification.” – Visitors are free to refuse the test and depart the institution grounds immediately. – A visitor’s refusal to be tested, by itself, is not a sufficient basis for detaining the individual or contacting federal/local law enforcement for further investigation. This information, however, is relayed to the SIS office for intelligence purposes.

“SIS” is the Special Investigative Services office, the institution’s internal investigative unit. Refusing a test is not treated as evidence of a crime under this policy, but it is recorded and routed to investigators.

On the other side, p. 11 directs staff to withhold three specific things:

Visitors must not be informed of the type of substance for which they tested positive. This is to prevent the visitor from fabricating a physician’s verification that attempts to justify the presence of the particular substance.

Staff must not explore or discuss with visitors the possible source(s) from which contact with an illegal substance(s) may have occurred. Staff may inform visitors, however, that the device is calibrated to register positive test results only at levels greater than would normally be encountered through casual contact.

That combination is the single hardest fact on this page for families. The policy invites a physician’s verification on appeal (p. 13) while directing staff not to tell the visitor which substance to explain. It is a real tension in the document, and it is the Bureau’s stated design rather than a local practice.

The appeal route

PS 5524.01 at p. 13, transcribed in full:

12. APPEALS

a. Visitors. Visitors denied entrance to an institution based on a confirmed positive test result for the presence of an illegal substance(s) may appeal in writing to the Warden.

Written appeals should indicate the visitor’s name, address, and purpose for visiting, including the inmate’s name and register number, if applicable.

Written appeals should also indicate the location, date, and time of the positive test. Visitors appealing the denial of a visit may include a physician’s verification indicating a prescribed substance(s), in an effort to explain confirmed positive test results.

If dissatisfied with the Warden’s response, visitors may further appeal to the appropriate Regional Director. A Warden’s response should inform the visitor of the identity and location of the appropriate Regional Director.

If dissatisfied with the Regional Director’s response, visitors may further appeal to the Assistant Director, Correctional Programs Division, Central Office.

b. Inmates. Inmates may seek formal review of grievances through the procedures outlined in the Program Statement Administrative Remedy Program.

Read that carefully, because it is a different route from the one most people expect. The visitor’s appeal is not the BP-9 / BP-10 / BP-11 administrative remedy ladder. It is a plain written letter to the Warden, then the Regional Director, then the Assistant Director for Correctional Programs. The administrative remedy program belongs to the incarcerated person, not to the visitor — and this policy says so in the same section. The Program Statement sets no deadline for a visitor appeal, no response time for the Warden, and no form. It also does not state that a suspension is stayed while an appeal is pending.

Notice: the form you should leave with

PS 5524.01 at p. 10: “If visiting is denied, the visitor will be given a completed BP-A0732, Ion Spectrometry Device – Notice of Denied Visitation form. This form also instructs the visitor how to appeal a denial of visitation to the Warden.”

Ask for it before you leave the lobby, and keep it. It is the document that fixes the date, the location and the fact of the denial — the three things a written appeal needs (p. 13). BOP publishes a number of its visitor-facing forms, but it does not publish BP-A0728 through BP-A0732; the only copy of your BP-A0732 is the one handed to you at the institution.

The forms and the records

PS 5524.01 at p. 14 lists the form set exactly:

Form	What it records
BP-A0728	Ion Spectrometry Device Maintenance Summary — “used to document all maintenance and repairs performed on the device” (p. 3)
BP-A0729	Ion Spectrometry Device Daily Pre/Post Operation Log — the daily pre-test validation, the work-area test, the random selection method chosen that day, and the end-of-day validation (pp. 6, 7, 13)
BP-A0730	Ion Spectrometry Device Daily Testing Log — “All visitor testing must be documented” here, including every initial result “whether positive or negative” (pp. 7, 8)
BP-A0731	Ion Spectrometry Device Positive Alarm Log — page 1 records the confirmed positive with “the device’s relevant computer printouts” attached; page 2 records the visitor’s prior positive history from the Inmate Visiting Computer Program (pp. 9, 11)
BP-A0732	Ion Spectrometry Device – Notice of Denied Visitation — given to the visitor, and attached to the BP-A0731 (pp. 10, 11)

And the retention period, PS 5524.01 at p. 13: “All records will be retained for a minimum period of one year.”

Who gets tested, and how they are picked

Everyone is eligible; almost nobody is tested every time. PS 5524.01 at p. 4:

a. Visitor Testing. All visitors, including contractors and volunteers, except as noted below, are subject to testing through the Ion Spectrometry Device Program:

– Ordinarily, Department of Justice staff, state and local law enforcement personnel, members of Congress, and members of the Judicial Branch are not screened by the device. However, the Warden reserves the right to test these individuals prior to entering the institution. – Searching staff with an ion spectrometry device is prohibited under this program statement unless articulable suspicion exists and with the Wardens approval. – The institution will inform all contractors and volunteers that they are subject to screening by this device during their orientation.

Then the selection method, p. 5: “While all visitors are subject to testing, institution resources and time management will ordinarily make testing every visitor impractical. Consequently, random visitor testing is recommended.” The method has to be impartial and non-discriminatory, has to be chosen fresh each day before testing starts, and has to be written on the BP-A0729 and BP-A0730. The examples the policy gives, “using numbers between one and ten,” are: “Every third visitor,” “Test four, skip two,” and “Test two, skip four, test three, skip four.”

Four situations take a visitor out of the random rotation and into mandatory testing, all at pp. 5–6: observed suspicious behavior meeting the reasonable-suspicion standard; being on the SIS inmate suspect list (the list is of inmates, and it is their visitors who get tested); accompanying a visitor who just tested positive; and having produced a confirmed positive within the past year.

Applied Insight — Christopher Zoukis, JD, MBA, Managing Director: The most common thing families get wrong is arguing about the machine. You will not win that argument at the gate, and the policy directs staff not to discuss the substance or the source with you anyway (p. 11). What you can do is document the procedure. The clear test between the two readings is the step that separates a real result from a contaminated instrument, and the policy directs it in writing at p. 9. If nobody changed gloves, if no clear test was run, if the confirmation came back positive for a different substance than the first reading — those are specific, checkable facts, and they belong in the first paragraph of a written appeal to the Warden. A visitor once litigated exactly that failure: in Carter v. Federal Bureau of Prisons, 579 F. Supp. 2d 798 (W.D. Tex. 2008), a visitor denied entry after a positive ion test alleged the operator had failed to use “clean gloves and changing said gloves between initial and confirmation testing.” Her suit was dismissed on threshold grounds — she had sued the agencies rather than the United States under the Federal Tort Claims Act, and had not identified a state-law duty — which is precisely why the place to raise a procedural failure is the written appeal, promptly, and not a lawsuit later.

What ion spectrometry screening means for you

If you are the family member or the visitor

You will be tested at some point, and it will not be because anyone suspects you. Random testing is the policy’s own recommendation, and the point of the ladder is that the machine, not a person, picked you. Two facts about your options are stated plainly in the policy and worth knowing before you are standing at the table: you can refuse the test and leave, and a refusal by itself is not a basis for detaining you or calling law enforcement (p. 8). It is also not free — refusing means no visit that day, and the refusal is reported to SIS.

If you get an initial positive, the next several minutes matter. You have to stay at the testing station, and you cannot go to the restroom or wash your hands before the confirmation test (p. 8). Staff are directed to run the clear test first. Watch whether they do, and note whether the gloves were changed. If the confirmation comes back negative, “[v]isitors testing negative should be permitted entry unless prohibited for other reasons” (p. 9).

If the visit is denied, ask for the BP-A0732 before you leave, and write down the date, time, location, the officer’s name, and what was and was not done. Then write to the Warden. The policy tells you what to put in the letter (p. 13): your name and address, the purpose of the visit, the inmate’s name and register number, and the location, date and time of the test. You may include a physician’s verification if a prescription could explain a positive, though staff will not have told you which substance registered. Nobody can tell you how that appeal will come out; discretion at every level of it belongs to the Bureau. What you can control is that the letter is written, dated, specific, and sent.

One more thing, and it is not in this Program Statement: the ion scanner is a screening device, and the criminal exposure comes from a different direction. If a search actually turns up drugs, you are not in an administrative dispute any more — you are in a federal criminal case under 18 U.S.C. § 1791. Our separate explainer on Program Statement 5510.15, Searching, Detaining or Arresting Visitors to Bureau Grounds and Facilities, covers the searches and the arrest authority; if it has already happened, start with what to expect in a federal investigation and a federal criminal defense attorney.

If you are the person inside: the two consequences

Two consequences reach you, and the second one is new in 2026.

The first is that your visits are the thing being restricted. Your visitor’s suspension runs against them, but the loss is yours, and it can also travel: a confirmed positive on a visitor may support “further investigation, searches, controlled visitation, or denied visitation” (p. 9), and your name can appear on the SIS list that puts all of your visitors into mandatory testing (p. 6). If your visits move to controlled or non-contact status, that is the Warden’s call under the visiting policy — see Visiting Regulations.

The second is more serious. Under the May 2026 edition, PS 5524.01 at p. 12:

d. Inmate Discipline. Staff may initiate inmate discipline proceedings based solely on a positive ion spectrometry device test result for an illegal substance, even in circumstances in which no observable or tangible amount of illegal substance(s) can be confiscated.

The same paragraph sets out what staff are directed to assemble: the operator “will preserve the tested object and will draft a detailed memorandum” describing the incident, the testing process, and the results “to include explaining the printout the ion spectrometry device provides,” plus “color print photos of the item/substance, chain of custody, and copy of test results print out” (p. 12). If you are charged on an ion result, that memorandum, that printout and that chain of custody are the government’s case, and you can ask for them in the disciplinary process. See Inmate Discipline Program (PS 5270.09) and our practical walkthrough of prison disciplinary infractions.

Note also that an initial positive on the inmate side — not a confirmed one — can trigger a chain of consequences short of discipline: “inmate interviews, placements in administrative detention, reasonable suspicion urinalysis testing and placement on a suspect test list, visual search of inmate and living quarters, focused correspondence or telephone reviews,” and revocation of a gate pass or community program (p. 12). The policy characterizes those as “not punitive in nature, but rather reasonably related to the legitimate penological interests of preventing inmate use of illicit substances.” Related: Special Housing Units, our drug and alcohol testing page — the governing statement is now PS 5514.01, Narcotic Identification, Inmate Urine and Alcohol Surveillance and Testing Program (5/7/2026) — and Searches of Housing Units, Inmates, and Inmate Work Areas.

If you are counsel: ion spectrometry screening

Three things are worth knowing about this policy in a matter.

The documentary record is unusually complete, and it is dated. Every test day generates a BP-A0729 with the pre- and post-test validation results and the random selection method chosen; every visitor test generates a BP-A0730 entry; every confirmed positive generates a BP-A0731 with the machine printouts attached and a BP-A0732 to the visitor; every maintenance event generates a BP-A0728. Records are kept “for a minimum period of one year” (p. 13), so the window closes. Where the client is the incarcerated person and the ion result is doing work in a disciplinary case or a program decision, that record set is the target — through the unit team, and through a Freedom of Information Act or Privacy Act request where it is not produced.

The 2026 discipline provision changes the evidentiary posture inside the institution. Before this edition, the practical answer to “there was no substance recovered” was often that there was no charge. The Bureau has now written the opposite instruction: discipline may be initiated “based solely on a positive ion spectrometry device test result … even in circumstances in which no observable or tangible amount of illegal substance(s) can be confiscated” (p. 12). The policy pairs that with a documentation burden on staff, and the defense in a disciplinary hearing is largely a defense about whether that burden was met — validation, the clear test, chain of custody, the printout, and the connection of the tested item to a specific person.

A Program Statement is not a regulation, and this one is careful about which is which. The binding text is in the Code of Federal Regulations: 28 C.F.R. § 511.16(a) authorizes electronic searches of non-inmates and names “metal detectors and ion spectrometry devices” as examples; 28 C.F.R. § 511.17 is what actually permits a denial, at “the Warden’s, or his/her designee’s, discretion,” where the visitor refuses a search or where “[t]here is reasonable suspicion” of prohibited activity, and it says reasonable suspicion “may be based on the results of a search conducted under this subpart, or any other reliable information”; and 28 C.F.R. § 540.51 provides that “[s]taff may require a visitor to submit to a personal search, including a search of any items of personal property, as a condition of allowing or continuing a visit.” The occurrence ladder, the 48-hour reentry, the 30/90/180-day suspensions and the appeal route are policy, not regulation. They are how the Bureau has told its own staff to exercise the discretion the regulation gives them — which makes a departure from them an argument about arbitrariness and about the agency’s own stated standard, not a freestanding regulatory violation.

What changed with Program Statement 5524.01

PS 5524.01, dated May 7, 2026 and approved by Director William K. Marshall III, rescinded PS 5522.02, Ion Spectrometry Device Program (4/1/2015). Its own Summary of Changes, PS 5524.01 at p. 1, states four changes in full:

– Removes the requirement to fulfill bargaining obligations with the Union before initiating a staff search utilizing the ion spectrometry device. – Updates the Ion Spectrometry Device Program authorizing staff to initiate inmate discipline proceedings based on a positive test result for an illegal substance, even when a tangible quantity of illegal substance cannot be observed or collected. – Updates procedures related to the first occurrence of positive test. – Updates the program statement number from 5522.02 to 5524.01.

Three observations follow.

The discipline change is the substantive one. The Bureau moved from a regime in which an ion hit was investigative to one in which it can carry a disciplinary charge on its own. Nothing else in the 2026 edition alters a visitor’s exposure as much as this alters the incarcerated person’s.

“Updates procedures related to the first occurrence of positive test” is not specified, and the prior text is no longer published. PS 5522.02 has been removed from BOP’s policy list and BOP does not post a copy. What the current first-occurrence rule says is set out in the table above: a pat and/or vehicle search at the Warden’s discretion, a controlled or non-contact visit if that search is negative, denial on refusal, and reentry available after 48 hours. What that replaced cannot be established from the published record, and we do not assert it.

The renumbering is not cosmetic housekeeping for its own sake. The 5522 series is now occupied by a different program: PS 5522.03, Whole Body Imaging (6/15/2017), governs the ionizing-radiation body scanners used on inmates. The ion spectrometry program moved to 5524.01 and the whole-body-imaging program stayed at 5522.03. If you are searching BOP’s site for “5522,” you will land on the wrong machine.

One more piece of context the Program Statement itself supplies at p. 2: this policy does not stand alone. “The Bureau’s procedures for searching inmates and non-inmates are detailed in the Program Statements Searching, Detaining, or Arresting Visitors to Bureau Grounds and Facilities and Searches of Housing Units, Inmates, and Inmate Work Areas. This program statement supplements those policies as the Ion Spectrometry Device Program is another method of lawfully searching persons and items for the presence of illegal substances.” The searching-and-detaining statement (PS 5510.15) is where the pat search, the visual search, the detention and the arrest authority live; PS 5521.06 is the inmate side. Both are linked below.

Where people get stuck after a positive ion scan

Four problems recur. The route matters more than the complaint.

“They told me I tested positive and would not tell me for what.” That is the policy, not a local practice: staff are directed not to name the substance, precisely to prevent a fabricated prescription explanation (p. 11). It does not stop you from appealing. Write to the Warden with the facts you do have — date, time, location, inmate name and register number — and, if you take a prescription that could plausibly account for a positive, include the physician’s verification the policy invites (p. 13) without claiming to know which substance registered. Attach a copy of the BP-A0732. The appeal ladder is Warden → Regional Director → Assistant Director, Correctional Programs Division. There is no BP-9 for a visitor.

“The visit was denied on the first alarm, before any second test.” Under the policy that should not happen. A confirmed positive is a three-step sequence (p. 2), a denial “must be authorized by the Warden or designee” (p. 10), and where a negative clear test cannot be obtained and testing stops for the day, “visitors should not be denied entry solely on an unconfirmed initial positive test result” (p. 9). State exactly that in the appeal, in the Bureau’s own words with the page numbers. If you are the incarcerated person and the same thing keeps happening to your approved visitors, the route on your side is an Inmate Request to Staff — form BP-A0148, universally called a “cop-out” — to the Captain or the Institution Program Coordinator, and then the formal ladder: BP-9 to the Warden, BP-10 to the Regional Director, BP-11 to the Office of National Inmate Appeals, under 28 C.F.R. part 542, subpart B. The clock is short — 28 C.F.R. § 542.14(a) sets “20 calendar days following the date on which the basis for the Request occurred,” subject to extension “[w]here the inmate demonstrates a valid reason for delay.” BOP publishes BP-A0148 but does not publish the BP-9, BP-10 or BP-11 forms; you get those from your unit team. See Administrative Remedy Program, Request to Staff, and our plain-language page on prison grievances.

“The suspension count is wrong — that was my first positive here.” It may still be a second occurrence. The policy expressly lets one institution build on another’s confirmed positives to escalate “the same inmate visitor” incrementally (p. 10), and the history lives in the Inmate Visiting Computer Program, recorded on page 2 of the BP-A0731 (p. 11). If you believe the count is wrong, say so specifically in the written appeal and ask the Warden to identify the date and institution of each prior confirmed positive being counted. That is a factual question with a documentary answer, and it is one of the few points on this page where a record either exists or does not.

“I was charged with a shot and nothing was ever found.” Since May 2026 that is expressly contemplated by the policy (p. 12). The response is procedural: request the operator’s memorandum, the device printout, the color photographs, the chain of custody, and the BP-A0729 validation log for that day, and test whether the tested item can actually be connected to you. Run it through the disciplinary process — Inmate Discipline Program and prison disciplinary infractions — not through a grievance, because the disciplinary process is where the evidence gets tested.

Where the underlying problem is a lost visiting relationship, a designation, a computation or medical care, the administrative route is necessary but rarely sufficient by itself. Those belong in a consult — see Federal Prison Consulting Services, common federal prison problems, or contact us. And if court is ever a possibility for the incarcerated person, exhaustion matters: under the Prison Litigation Reform Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1997e(a), no action may be brought about prison conditions until available administrative remedies are exhausted. “Exhaustion” means completing every level of the internal grievance ladder, on time, before filing.

Related BOP policy on visitor screening

The paired page is Inmate Visitation — how visiting works, who can be on the list, what to expect in the room. It links back here for the screening rule. For the rules governing the visit itself, see Visiting Regulations (PS 5267.09) and the full text of PS 5267.09.

The two Program Statements this one expressly supplements (PS 5524.01 at p. 2): our explainer on searching, detaining or arresting visitors to Bureau grounds — the pat search, the visual search, detention and arrest authority — and Searches of Housing Units, Inmates, and Inmate Work Areas (PS 5521.06) for the inmate side.

Where an ion result leads next: Inmate Discipline Program (PS 5270.09) and prison disciplinary infractions for a charge; our drug and alcohol testing page for the testing track an ion positive can trigger — now governed by PS 5514.01 (5/7/2026), which rescinded PS 6060.08; Special Housing Units (PS 5270.12) for administrative detention; and Inside Federal Prison: Alcohol and Drugs for the wider picture.

Routes and records: Administrative Remedy Program (PS 1330.18), Request to Staff (PS 5511.08), and FOIA and Privacy Act Requests. If a search produced an actual seizure and a criminal referral, that is a different problem entirely: federal criminal defense and what to expect in a federal investigation.

For families new to all of this: What Families Should Know About Federal Prison, how to contact a federal inmate, programs for children of incarcerated parents and prison family visits, and why photographs get photocopied in prison mail — the mail side of the same contraband problem.

Frequently Asked Questions About Ion Spectrometry Screening

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Program Statement 5524.01 — full text

The full text below is the Bureau of Prisons’ own document, reproduced in full and without edit from its published PDF: Program Statement 5524.01 (PDF).

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Federal Bureau of Prisons

PROGRAM STATEMENT ION Spectrometry Device Program Approved by

William K. Marshall III Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons DPI CPD Number 5524.01 Date May 7, 2026

Summary of Changes Program Statement Rescinded:

• 5522.02 Ion Spectrometry Device Program (4/1/2015) Changes:
• Removes the requirement to fulfill bargaining obligations with the Union before initiating a staff search utilizing the ion spectrometry device.
• Updates the Ion Spectrometry Device Program authorizing staff to initiate inmate discipline proceedings based on a positive test result for an illegal substance, even when a tangible quantity of illegal substance cannot be observed or collected.
• Updates procedures related to the first occurrence of positive test.
• Updates the program statement number from 5522.02 to 5524.01.

1. PURPOSE AND SCOPE

This program statement is intended to provide instructions for the Bureau of Prisons (Bureau) Ion Spectrometry Device Program at institutions.

The possession and use of illegal substances by prison inmates seriously jeopardizes the safety and security of Bureau institutions. The ion spectrometry device is a minimally intrusive method for screening the belongings, mail, and packages of inmates, contractors, visitors, and volunteers for the presence of illegal substances. Using the well-established scientific principles of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, the device detects trace amounts of illegal substances that may be present on the person or item being tested.

The ion spectrometry device is not used to detect an individual’s use of illegal substances.

The Bureau’s procedures for searching inmates and non-inmates are detailed in the Program Statements Searching, Detaining, or Arresting Visitors to Bureau Grounds and Facilities and Searches of Housing Units, Inmates, and Inmate Work Areas. This program statement supplements those policies as the Ion Spectrometry Device Program is another method of lawfully searching persons and items for the presence of illegal substances. Operating the device requires strict compliance with the manufacturer’s specifications and this program statement to ensure the accuracy, reliability, and overall integrity of test results.

a. Program Objectives.

• Reduction of illegal substances entering federal prisons.
• Decisions to deny the entry of visitors or property to federal prisons be based on accurate device test results.

b. Institution Supplement. None.

2. DEFINITIONS

a. Confirmed Positive Test Result. This exists when there is an initial positive test for an

illegal substance(s), followed by a clear test, and followed by a positive confirmation test for the same illegal substance(s).

b. Reasonable suspicion. This exists when a staff member knows of facts and circumstances

that warrant rational inferences by a person with correctional experience that a non-inmate may be engaged in, attempting, or about to engage in criminal or other prohibited activity.

“Hunches,” “gut feelings,” and “mere suspicion” alone do not meet the reasonable suspicion standard. However, such “feelings” legitimately support continued observation, investigation, and/or questioning, which may provide the necessary evidence to meet the reasonable suspicion standard.

3. PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

The following staff are responsible for managing the Ion Spectrometry Device Program:

a. National Program Coordinator. The National Program Coordinator is a Central Office

position assigned by the Assistant Director, Correctional Programs Division. This staff member is responsible for drafting and implementing national policy, as well as assisting the regional and institution coordinators with program training and implementation.

b. Regional Program Coordinator. The Regional Program Coordinators are regional positions

assigned by each Regional Director. These staff are responsible for assisting institution program coordinators with program training and implementation.

c. Institution Program Coordinator. Ordinarily, the Institution Program Coordinator is the

Captain or designee at institutions using the Ion Spectrometry Device Program. These staff are responsible for the following:

• Assigning Operator Privilege Levels. Institution Program Coordinators assign operator privilege levels as required and defined by the manufacturer’s specifications. These levels may include:

• Administrator. The Institution Coordinator and at least one alternate is assigned administrator-level privileges. Administrators can perform all functions of both the operator and supervisor levels.
• Supervisor. Staff supervising daily operation of the Ion Spectrometry Device Program are assigned supervisor-level privileges. Supervisors can perform all functions of the operator level.
• Operator. Staff performing daily operation of the ion spectrometry device, who have been properly trained, are assigned operator-level privileges. Operators can perform basic functions such as analyzing samples and printing test results. Operators must don a new pair of nitrile gloves with each new search being performed.

• Operator Training. Institution Program Coordinators ensure staff operating the device are trained according to the device manufacturer’s specifications as well as this program statement, prior to assuming a post assigned operator level privilege.
• Mobility and Storage. Institution Program Coordinators ensure the device is mobile, to allow testing in various locations, and stored in an area inaccessible by inmates and non-staff when not used.
• Purchasing, Storage, and Accountability of Supplies. Prior to purchasing an ion spectrometry device, institutions should check with the Office of Security Technology, Information Technology and Data Division, Central Office to ensure the device will meet the needs of the agency. Institution Program Coordinators maintain an adequate level of device supplies in a secure area, according to manufacturer specifications.
• Scheduled Maintenance. Institution Program Coordinators perform and document necessary device maintenance and repairs according to manufacturer specifications. The BP-A0728, Ion Spectrometry Device Maintenance Summary is used to document all maintenance and repairs performed on the device.
• Oversight of Testing Procedures. Institution Program Coordinators ensure daily operation of the Ion Spectrometry Device Program is performed in accordance with manufacturer specifications and this program statement. This includes calibration of the machine.
• Use of Equipment by Non-Bureau Staff. Institution Program Coordinators ensure the device is used by non-Bureau staff (e.g., loaned to other law enforcement agencies) only pursuant to the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding with the requesting agency.
• Compliance with State Requirements. Institution Program Coordinators will ensure the device is registered in accordance with state guidelines, if necessary.

4. STANDARD EQUIPMENT SETTINGS

This section prescribes standard settings and practices for the program in Bureau institutions. The Regional Program Coordinator’s approval is required prior to changing these settings.

a. Positive Alarm Threshold Levels. To minimize positive test results based on a visitor’s

casual contact with an illegal substance(s), the device will be set at the manufacturer’s recommended positive alarm threshold levels.

b. Audible Alarm Turned Off. Any audible alarms should be turned off to minimize possible

embarrassment and disruption when registering a positive test result. Depending upon the model of the machine, this function may have to be performed by the Institution Program Coordinator. Instead, a positive test result will only appear to the operator on the screen and computer printout.

c. Printing Positive Test Results. The device should be set up to print all positive test results automatically for preservation.

The device will not be set to print negative test results.

5. SELECTION METHODS FOR TESTING VISITORS

a. Visitor Testing. All visitors, including contractors and volunteers, except as noted below, are subject to testing through the Ion Spectrometry Device Program:

• Ordinarily, Department of Justice staff, state and local law enforcement personnel, members of Congress, and members of the Judicial Branch are not screened by the device. However, the Warden reserves the right to test these individuals prior to entering the institution.
• Searching staff with an ion spectrometry device is prohibited under this program statement unless articulable suspicion exists and with the Wardens approval.
• The institution will inform all contractors and volunteers that they are subject to screening by this device during their orientation. The Warden will ensure volunteers and contractors are notified they may be subjected to ion spectrometry testing.

b. Random Selection Testing. While all visitors are subject to testing, institution resources and time management will ordinarily make testing every visitor impractical. Consequently, random visitor testing is recommended.

Random selection of visitors for testing must be conducted in an impartial and nondiscriminatory method. While the daily method of random selection is within each institution’s discretion, the following guidelines are recommended to ensure consistency and integrity.

A different random selection method must be determined each day prior to testing visitors. Once determined, it must be recorded on the BP-A0729, Ion Spectrometry Device Daily Pre/Post Operation Log and the BP-A0730, Ion Spectrometry Device Daily Testing Log in the spaces provided. The Institution Program Coordinator, or designee is responsible for determining what random selection method will be used.

Recommended random selection methods include, but are not limited to, the following examples, using numbers between one and ten:

• “Every third visitor.”
• “Test four, skip two.”
• “Test two, skip four, test three, skip four.”

c. Reasonable Suspicion Testing. Visitors may be tested out of random order when reasonable

suspicion exists, suggesting the visitor’s possible involvement with illegal substances. Reasonable suspicion testing is permitted in the following situations:

(1) Observed Suspicious Behavior. Staff may observe behavior of a visitor which suggests possible involvement with illegal substances and meets the reasonable suspicion standard. For example, the visitor may attempt to place themselves in a processing order that would result in no random testing, or the visitor may display excessive nervousness during questioning or otherwise.

Staff must be able to define and articulate specific behavior that meets the reasonable suspicion standard. However, if unsure such behavior meets this standard, staff will contact their supervisor.

Additionally, intelligence information that meets the reasonable suspicion standard may justify testing out of random order, even if unsupported by objectively observed behavior, e.g., information obtained from a reliable confidential informant shortly before a visit occurs. In these circumstances, the supervisor or the Institution Program Coordinator will make the decision to test out of random order. Ordinarily, this will be communicated in writing.

(2) Inmate Suspect List. Intelligence information may meet the reasonable suspicion standard and suggest a particular inmate’s possible involvement with illegal substances, e.g., monitored telephone calls, confidential informants, mail monitoring, financial transactions, urine surveillance, etc.

Special Investigative Services (SIS) staff should provide the Institution Program Coordinator with a list of inmates whose visitors should be tested out of random order due to the presence of reasonable suspicion that the inmates are involved with illegal substances. The testing of specific visitors of listed inmates is at the discretion of the Institution Program Coordinator.

The Institution Program Coordinator must provide this list of inmates whose visitors must be tested out of random order to staff operating the device.

(3) Persons Accompanying a Visitor Who Tests Positive. If an inmate visitor produces a confirmed positive test result for an illegal substance(s) and is accompanied by other person(s) requesting to enter the institution, all persons accompanying that visitor should be tested prior to their entering the institution.

(4) Visitors Previously Testing Positive. Visitors who previously produced confirmed positive test results for an illegal substance(s) must be tested upon returning to visit for a period of one year from the date of the last confirmed positive test result. After the one-year period, the visitor should return to random testing. Procedures will be developed locally to determine how the names of such visitors will be maintained to provide confidentiality and accessibility.

6. PRE-TESTING PROCEDURES

Device operators must perform the following standard pre-testing procedures prior to daily testing of persons or things.

a. Documentation. The BP-A0729, Ion Spectrometry Device Daily Pre/Post Operation Log is

used to document completed pre-testing procedures.

b. Maintenance Review. The BP-A0728, Ion Spectrometry Device Maintenance Summary is

used to ensure scheduled maintenance was performed.

c. Supplies. The Institution Program Coordinator/Supervisor must be notified if additional

supplies are needed.

d. Random Selection Method. When preparing to test visitors the Institution Program

Coordinator/Supervisor should be contacted to establish a random selection method.

e. Clean Test Area and Equipment. The device and immediate work area must be cleaned

with presaturated wipes to minimize the potential for contamination of test results.

f. Pre-Test Validation. Staff must perform the manufacturer’s pre-test validation steps to

ensure the device is operating correctly. Successfully performing and documenting these steps is required to support the validity of test results. Staff must print and save all validation test results. A complete copy of the manufacturer’s handbook is kept with the machine and/or otherwise readily available for use.

If the device fails to complete any of the validation steps successfully, it should be assessed for necessary troubleshooting, maintenance, or repair.

Upon correcting the situation, all pre-test procedures must be repeated successfully prior to performing actual tests.

Device operators must wear clean white cotton gloves or nitrile gloves while performing validation procedures. For cost effectiveness, institutions should wash cotton gloves in the institution laundry and re-use them. The Institution Program Coordinator will ensure a sufficient supply of clean gloves is always on hand.

g. Work Area Test. Operating staff must conduct a sample test of the immediate surrounding

work area, including the gloves that are worn. This step ensures the absence of contaminants in the work area. These results are recorded on the BP-A0729, Ion Spectrometry Device Daily Pre/Post Operation Log. If a positive test result is obtained, the area must be re-cleaned and tested until a negative result is obtained.

7. VISITOR TESTING PROCEDURES

The following procedures must be utilized when testing all visitors in accordance with this program statement.

a. Controlled Area. Testing must be conducted in a controlled area which, following each test, prohibits contact between processed and unprocessed visitors. This minimizes the opportunity for visitors to transfer illegal substances after testing.

b. Documentation. All visitor testing must be documented on the BP-A0730, Ion Spectrometry

Device Daily Testing Log.

c. Explanations to Visitors. Staff must thoroughly explain the testing process to visitors, being certain to cover the following points:

• The device tests for the presence of illegal substances, not an individual’s use of illegal substances.
• How the test will be conducted, e.g., “the hand-held device will be passed over your pants pockets, waist area, pants cuffs (or shoe area), and personal identification.”
• Visitors are free to refuse the test and depart the institution grounds immediately.
• A visitor’s refusal to be tested, by itself, is not a sufficient basis for detaining the individual or contacting federal/local law enforcement for further investigation. This information, however, is relayed to the SIS office for intelligence purposes.

d. Testing Method. Operators must don a new pair of nitrile gloves prior to performing testing. Visitors are tested by passing the hand-held device over:

• The tops of the front pants pockets.
• The visitor’s waist area.
• The pants cuff (or shoe area).
• Personal identification (both sides).

The visitor must remain directly in front of the testing station during all testing procedures.

e. Initial Test Results. All initial test results, whether positive or negative, must be recorded on the BP-A0730, Ion Spectrometry Daily Testing Log. Visitors testing negative should be permitted entry unless prohibited for other reasons. Visitors testing positive must remain at the testing station for further processing under Section 8 of this program statement.

8. CONFIRMATION TESTING PROCEDURES

Use these procedures to confirm a visitor’s initial positive test result:

a. Explanations to Visitors. Staff must thoroughly and professionally explain to the visitor that a repeat test must be performed to confirm the initial test’s accuracy.

The visitor must remain directly in front of the testing station during the confirmation testing and may not use the restroom or otherwise attend to personal hygiene before confirmation testing. Any violation of this rule will result in a supervisor being notified to determine if the visitor will be allowed to visit on this date.

The visitor is free to refuse confirmation testing and depart the institution grounds immediately.

A visitor’s refusal to be tested, by itself, is not a sufficient basis for detaining the individual or contacting federal/local law enforcement for further investigation. This information, however, must be relayed to the SIS office for intelligence purposes.

b. “Clear” Test Procedures. Operating staff must perform the following clear test to eliminate the possibility that equipment contamination caused an initial positive test result:

• Remove the original nitrile gloves and replace them with new ones. Wipe the surface area of the testing device with a pre-saturated wipe.
• With a fresh testing device, test the actual gloves that will be worn by the operator. If this test is positive, repeat the clearing process until a negative test is obtained. If a negative test cannot be obtained, the Institution Program Coordinator should be contacted for possible troubleshooting, maintenance, or repair of the device. Once a negative test is obtained, proceed with the confirmation test.
• If a negative clear test cannot be obtained and testing is halted for the day, visitors should not be denied entry solely on an unconfirmed initial positive test result.

c. Confirmation Test. Operating staff conduct a confirmation test of the visitor similar to the initial test. Confirmed positive test results must be documented on the BP-A0731, Ion Spectrometry Device Positive Alarm Log. Visitors testing negative should be permitted entry unless prohibited for other reasons.

A confirmation test that is negative for the substance(s) that initially tested positive but is positive for a new substance(s), must be treated as an initial positive test for the new substance(s). A confirmation test for the new substance(s) must be performed according to these procedures.

9. CONFIRMED POSITIVE TEST RESULTS

Staff must take precautions to prevent illegal substances from entering Bureau institutions.

This includes the possibility that a visitor may conceal an illegal substance(s) in a body cavity, or by oral consumption, which is expelled after gaining entrance to the institution.

Furthermore, delivery of an illegal substance(s) can occur directly to an inmate or other person or may be concealed on the institution grounds for later retrieval by an inmate or other person.

Consequently, to protect the safety, security, and orderly operation of Bureau institutions, a confirmed positive test result for an illegal substance(s) may satisfy the reasonable suspicion standard, warranting further investigation, searches, controlled visitation, or denied visitation.

Consistent with the Program Statement Searching, Detaining, or Arresting Visitors to Bureau Grounds and Facilities, Wardens must assess every situation in which a visitor produces a confirmed positive test on its own merits in reaching a final decision. Additionally, Wardens possess broad discretion to require pat/vehicle searches as a prerequisite for visitation, controlled or non-contact visits, or a complete denial of visitation.

a. Pat or Visual Searches. Refer to the Program Statement Searching, Detaining, or

Arresting Visitors to Bureau Grounds and Facilities for additional guidance.

b. Vehicle Searches. Refer to the Program Statement Searching, Detaining, or Arresting

Visitors to Bureau Grounds and Facilities for additional guidance.

c. Controlled/Non-Contact Visitation. Visitors producing a confirmed positive test result may

be subject to restricted visiting in accordance with the Program Statement Visiting Regulations, which allows the Warden to authorize controlled or non-contact visitation.

d. Denied Visitation. Visitors producing a confirmed positive test result may be denied entry

into the institution in accordance with the Program Statement Searching, Detaining, or Arresting Visitors to Bureau Grounds and Facilities. Denial of visitation must be authorized by the Warden or designee.

Confirmed positive tests that result in denial of visitation will be handled as follows:

• First Occurrence. The visitor will be required to submit to a pat and/or vehicle search at the Warden’s discretion. If the visitor submits to the search with negative results, the Warden may allow the visit to occur in either a controlled or non-contact area. Refusal or failure to submit will result in the denial of the visit. The visitor may seek reentry after 48 hours.
• Second Occurrence. The visitor’s visiting privilege will be suspended for 30 days.
• Third Occurrence. The visitor’s visiting privilege will be suspended for 90 days.
• Fourth and Subsequent Occurrences. The visitor’s visiting privilege will be suspended for 180 days.

Another institution may use a visitor’s previously confirmed positive test results from one institution as a foundation for increasing the consequences of the same inmate visitor incrementally, as indicated above.

e. Explanations to Visitors. Staff authorized to deny a visit must explain carefully and

professionally to the visitor that they tested positive for the presence of an illegal substance, and the resulting consequences. When denying visitation, staff must also observe the following procedures.

If visiting is denied, the visitor will be given a completed BP-A0732, Ion Spectrometry Device – Notice of Denied Visitation form. This form also instructs the visitor how to appeal a denial of visitation to the Warden. See Section 12 of this program statement for information regarding appeals.

Visitors must be reminded the device tests only for the presence, and not the use, of illegal substances.

Visitors must not be informed of the type of substance for which they tested positive. This is to prevent the visitor from fabricating a physician’s verification that attempts to justify the presence of the particular substance.

Staff must not explore or discuss with visitors the possible source(s) from which contact with an illegal substance(s) may have occurred. Staff may inform visitors, however, that the device is calibrated to register positive test results only at levels greater than would normally be encountered through casual contact.

f. Documentation. Complete and accurate documentation is vital to the program’s integrity.

The following documentation must be completed and retained following every visitor’s positive confirmation test for an illegal substance(s).

• Ion Spectrometry Device – Positive Alarm Log (BP-A0731, Page 1). This includes recording pertinent information as defined on the form and attaching the device’s relevant computer printouts.
• Positive Alarm History (BP-A0731, Page 2). Once completed, this includes the visitor’s prior history of confirmed positive test results, if any, obtained from the Inmate Visiting Computer Program. Attach the visitor’s BP-A0732, Ion Spectrometry Device – Notice of Denied Visitation to this form.
• Inmate Visiting Computer Program Comments Section. Ensure appropriate entry noting the date, time, positive alarm, and consequence resulting from each positive test.

10. INMATE TESTING

Consistent with the Program Statement Searches of Housing Units, Inmates, and Inmate Work Areas, the ion spectrometry device may be used to test for the presence of illegal substances on inmates, their personal belongings, housing units, and work areas.

The following procedures apply:

a. Pre/Post Testing Procedures. Staff must follow the pre- and post-testing procedures

described in Sections 6 and 11 of this program statement, including using a BP-A0729, Ion Spectrometry Device Daily Pre/Post Operation Log form.

b. Testing Procedures. Staff must follow the manufacturer’s specifications for performing tests of persons, places, and/or objects.

c. Positive Test Results. Positive test results must be documented and maintained by the

Institution Program Coordinator and include the:

• date and time test was performed,
• person, place, or thing producing the positive test result,
• inmate name and register number (if any) associated with the positive test result, and
• device operator’s name and signature.

An initial positive test result for an illegal substance(s) may be used to justify further investigative activity (e.g., inmate interviews, placements in administrative detention, reasonable suspicion urinalysis testing and placement on a suspect test list, visual search of inmate and living quarters, focused correspondence or telephone reviews).

An initial positive test result may also be used to support programming decisions reasonably related to the inmate’s possible involvement with illegal substances (e.g., revocation of gate pass or community program involvement).

Such administrative status changes should relate only to those programming aspects connected to the suspected means of introducing, distributing, or using illegal substances. Such program changes are not punitive in nature, but rather reasonably related to the legitimate penological interests of preventing inmate use of illicit substances.

d. Inmate Discipline. Staff may initiate inmate discipline proceedings based solely on a

positive ion spectrometry device test result for an illegal substance, even in circumstances in which no observable or tangible amount of illegal substance(s) can be confiscated. In accordance with the Program Statement Inmate Discipline Program, inmates may be held accountable for introduction or possession, or attempted introduction or possession, of prohibited substances can be supported by a positive ion spectrometry device test in conjunction with the tested item itself (e.g., a piece of incoming mail or package), when that item can be connected to a specific inmate.

The staff member that utilizes the ion spectrometry device and receives a positive result will preserve the tested object and will draft a detailed memorandum. This memorandum will detail the incident in which the illegal substance was discovered, the testing process, and the results of the ion spectrometry test, to include explaining the printout the ion spectrometry device provides. Additionally, the following will be required to be part of the incident supporting documents, color print photos of the item/substance, chain of custody, and copy of test results print out.

11. POST-TESTING PROCEDURES

The following standard post-testing procedures must be followed at each institution using an ion spectrometry device. These procedures must be followed regardless of the type of testing performed that day − visitors, inmates, or packages.

a. Post-Testing Validation Test. After completing the day’s testing, staff perform a validation test identical to the one performed at the beginning of the day’s testing. These results are recorded on the BP-A0729, Ion Spectrometry Device Daily Pre/Post Operation Log.

b. Storage. When not used for testing, the Institution Program Coordinator must ensure the

device is stored in an area inaccessible by inmates and non-staff.

12. APPEALS

a. Visitors. Visitors denied entrance to an institution based on a confirmed positive test result for the presence of an illegal substance(s) may appeal in writing to the Warden.

Written appeals should indicate the visitor’s name, address, and purpose for visiting, including the inmate’s name and register number, if applicable.

Written appeals should also indicate the location, date, and time of the positive test. Visitors appealing the denial of a visit may include a physician’s verification indicating a prescribed substance(s), in an effort to explain confirmed positive test results.

If dissatisfied with the Warden’s response, visitors may further appeal to the appropriate Regional Director. A Warden’s response should inform the visitor of the identity and location of the appropriate Regional Director.

If dissatisfied with the Regional Director’s response, visitors may further appeal to the Assistant Director, Correctional Programs Division, Central Office. A Regional Director’s response should inform the visitor of the identity and location of the Assistant Director.

b. Inmates. Inmates may seek formal review of grievances through the procedures outlined in

the Program Statement Administrative Remedy Program.

13. TRAINING

The Institution Program Coordinator will ensure staff operating the device are trained to the manufacturer’s specifications. No staff will be expected to operate the device without proper training.

14. RECORD KEEPING

SIS staff will retrieve and maintain all records referred to in this program statement. The Institution Program Coordinator will ensure all required forms and notices are completed and forwarded to appropriate staff member(s). All records will be retained for a minimum period of one year.

REFERENCES

Program Statements Administrative Remedy Program Inmate Discipline Program Visiting Regulations Searching, Detaining, or Arresting Visitors to Bureau Grounds and Facilities Searches of Housing Units, Inmates, and Inmate Work Areas

Bureau Forms Prescribed by 5524.01 BP-A0728 Ion Spectrometry Device Maintenance Summary BP-A0729 Ion Spectrometry Device Daily Pre/Post Operation Log BP-A0730 Ion Spectrometry Device Daily Testing Log BP-A0731 Ion Spectrometry Device Positive Alarm Log BP-A0732 Ion Spectrometry Device − Notice of Denied Visitation

ACA Standards Performance-Based Standards and Expected Practices for Adult Correctional Institutions (5th Edition): 5-ACI-3A-12, 5-ACI-3A-19, 5-ACI-3D-19, 5-ACI-6C-09(M), 5-ACI-7D-21

Performance-Based Standards and Expected Practices for Adult Local Detention Facilities (5th Edition): 5ALDF-2A-12, 5-ALDF-2C-01, 5-ALDF-6B-01, 5-ALDF-4D-18(M), 5-ALDF-5B-04

Standards for the Administration of Correctional Agencies, (2 nd Edition): 2-CO-1F-14, 2-CO-5D- 01

Records Retention Requirements Requirements and retention guidance for records and information applicable to this program are available in the Records and Information Disposition Schedule (RIDS) on the Bureau’s intranet site.

Reviewed for legal accuracy by Elizabeth Franklin-Best, Esq., Principal Attorney·September 2026