After four inmates died in the West Baton Rouge Parish Detention Center this year from drug overdoses, parish leaders are searching for solutions.

One idea the sheriff plans to implement is a full-body scanner system, which would cost more than $200,000.

“While I’m always exploring new technology and its benefits to enhance safety and efficiency, the recent inmate deaths have prompted a deeper evaluation of this technology and its ability to strengthen security within our facility,” West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff Jeff Bergeron wrote in an email.

The department is currently looking into different manufacturers and speaking with other correctional facilities about which scanner to purchase, Bergeron said. Body scanners in jails and prisons often use low-level radiation to detect conceale

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