DOC’s drug-sniffing dogs wind up on SJC’s docket
August 1, 2017
The Boston Herald
By Bob McGovern
The use of drug-sniffing dogs on prison visitors in the Bay State is under attack, according to a lawsuit going before the state’s high court.
The state Supreme Judicial Court announced it will determine whether the state Department of Correction overstepped its bounds by using Labradors and golden retrievers to hunt for contraband.
“Going to prison as a visitor is a scary and intimidating experience, and it always has been. With the dogs, some people are afraid,” said James Pingeon, an attorney with the Boston-based Prisoners’ Legal Services. “People are afraid that they will smell something that isn’t a drug, and then get barred. There are a lot of strong feelings about these dogs.”