Trumbull County Sheriff Paul Monroe is looking for a new way to detect contraband and keep potentially deadly drugs from coming into the jail.

The goal to help prevent overdoses.

Sheriff Monroe has now been authorized by the Trumbull County Commissioners to advertise for bids for the purchase of one full body x-ray machine or what's commonly referred to as a full body scanner.

The full body scanner is like what you see at airports used by the TSA.

Sheriff Monroe says it can detect dangerous weapons and contraband and he wants to install the machine in the booking area of the jail.

"This isn't a new idea.  This is something that sheriff's offices all over the state and all over the country are doing.  One of the problems is the propensity to bring drugs into a jail," Sheriff Monroe said.

Full body scanners can run from about $115,000 to $225,000 and Sheriff Monroe tells 21 News the purchase will be a cooperative effort between his office and the Trumbull County Common Pleas Court judges.  He said they are willing to help with the cost because it could save lives, especially because of the heroin epidemic.

"Somebody smuggling drugs into our jail could cause the death of another, especially someone who has been clean for three or four months," Sheriff Monroe said.

The full body scanners have proven effective with the TSA at airports, and with their x-ray capabilities can detect things hidden in any body cavity.

"Anything that can be secreted or hidden in a cavity of your body whether it be your stomach or another part of your body may be upon visual inspection we can't see something but if it's contained within a cavity of your body we would be able to detect that," Sheriff Monroe said.