To underscore the severity of the problem, Molina presented evidence such as a child’s drawing of a reindeer, claiming it had been soaked in fentanyl before being sent to a prisoner.
However, a report by the city’s Department of Investigation cast doubt on these assertions, revealing that the drug tests used to detect fentanyl were unreliable.
The findings showed that only 10 of the 71 mail items flagged as positive actually contained traces of the drug.
According to the report, the field tests used at Rikers Island relied on reactive strips with an alarming false positive rate of up to 85%. These tests, which have gained popularity in U.S. prisons in recent years due to the opioid overdose crisis, were found to be particularly prone to error.
Initially, Rikers employed kits from Sirchie Finger Print Laboratories, which had a 91% error rate. After widespread complaints, the Department of Correction switched to DetectaChem kits in 2023, but these proved only slightly better, with a false positive rate of 79%.
Despite the questionable reliability of the tests, inaccurate data was reportedly used to justify a campaign to halt mail delivery in the prison.
City officials proposed an alternative: redirecting mail to an external vendor that would scan letters and make them accessible to inmates digitally on tablets—a system already in use in some other correctional facilities. This proposal was ultimately blocked by the prison oversight board.
Advocates for prisoner rights argue that fentanyl and other drugs do not typically enter prisons through mail but are often smuggled in by staff members, who then sell them inside the facilities.
Despite the criticisms, the Department of Correction defended the use of field tests, describing them as “quick tools for assessing potential threats.” However, the department acknowledged the imperfections in the system and stated that security protocols would be improved.
This investigation not only questions the validity of claims about fentanyl-laced mail but also underscores the need for more reliable methods of combating contraband in prisons while respecting the rights and safety of incarcerated individuals.
