What Happens If You Test Positive on the ION Drug Scan at CNMCF
A positive ION reading at CNMCF can be stressful, especially if you don't use drugs. Here's how the screening works, what the device actually detects, and what a "positive" result does and doesn't mean.
When you arrive at CNMCF, you'll go through a security screening. Everyone entering the facility must pass through a metal detector and/or controlled substance detection equipment, or be screened by dogs trained to detect controlled substances. The purpose is simple: keep narcotics out of the institution and protect everyone inside.
Note: The ION drug scan is used as a security measure to prevent narcotics from entering the facility.
A positive result on the ION drug scan does not automatically mean someone is using drugs. The device picks up minute traces of drug residue that you may have encountered through everyday activities. It detects tiny amounts of residue. It does not prove drug use.
Tip: The ION scan is extremely sensitive. Incidental contact with trace residue from normal day-to-day life can be enough to trigger a positive reading.
Minors go through drug detection device testing at CNMCF, but at no time will a minor be subject to a strip search. If a minor tests positive, the visit either switches to face-to-face non-contact or is denied for that day if non-contact visiting isn't available.
For adults, the process is similar. Everyone entering the facility must pass through a metal detector and/or controlled substance detection equipment, or be screened by dogs trained to detect controlled substances. If you test positive, staff will decide how the visit proceeds based on the facility's procedures for keeping controlled substances out.
Note: Minors must submit to drug detection testing, but they will never be strip-searched. A positive result can change the type of visit offered, or result in no visit that day depending on availability.
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- ✓ Assume the ION scan can pick up minute traces of residue, even from everyday activities.
- ✓ Keep your hands and belongings as clean as possible before screening, since the device is designed to register tiny amounts of residue.
- ✓ Follow staff directions closely during screening. Everyone entering must go through the metal detector and/or controlled substance detection equipment, or be screened by trained dogs.
Reminder: Even if you're careful, the ION scan is built to detect minute residue. A positive result does not necessarily mean drug use.
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