Drones used to smuggle drugs and other contraband into South Australian prisons are in the sights of the State Government, which is considering innovative new measures to combat the growing threat.

Corrective Services Minister Peter Malinauskas has directed SA prison staff to examine potential fit-for-purpose technology to tackle the problem.

That includes cutting edge radar and devices capable of disabling drones found to be breaching restricted airspace.

Flying a drone in or around state prisons will also be made illegal under a toughening-up of the Correctional Services Act.

Those found guilty will face hefty fines and up to two years behind bars.

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More than 1 billion drones are predicted to be in use around the world by 2030.

Speaking outside Yatala Labour Prison in Adelaide's north, Mr Malinauskas said laws already prohibited the smuggling of contraband into jails.

But he said they needed to be strengthened to reflect changes in technology.

"It's one thing to change the law but we also want to make sure we can enforce the law," he said.

"We're calling on technology providers — whether it be through radar systems or other methods to in effect have a drone shield over South Australian prisons — to ensure that if someone flies a drone into that airspace it gets detected, and to make sure they get caught accordingly."

Criminals resorting to aerial delivery

Drones are increasingly being used as a method of sneaking in contraband into prisons overseas and in Australia.

The Victorian Government moved this year to introduce "no-fly zones" over state prisons after a 28-year-old man was charged with attempting to smuggle drugs into a Melbourne jail in 2014.

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A drone was also detected in December 2015 hovering over New South Wales's most secure prison, the Goulburn SuperMax, sparking calls for a similar ban.

"We know that in other parts of the world, drones are being used to deliver items like drugs and mobile phones," Mr Malinauskas said.

"We want to make sure that scourge doesn't get replicated here in South Australia."

Mr Malinauskas said while there was no "specific intelligence" to suggest drones were being used in SA prisons, he wanted to ensure the state "stays ahead of the curve".

Mobile phone jamming technology also an option

Despite an increase in searches, contraband detection in SA prisons was down 20 per cent in the 2016/17 financial year.

Mr Malinauskas said smuggling was still the number one challenge in tackling criminal activity inside the prison system.

"The two biggest forms of contraband that criminals seek to bring into our prison system are drugs and mobile phones," he said.

"Mobile phones are a big concern in the context of organised crime — members of outlaw motorcycle gang here at Yatala prison amongst others — and we know they would like to continue to coordinate illegal activities beyond these prison walls."

To tackle the use of mobile phones, the department is investigating the use of mobile phone jamming technology.

"There is a trial underway within the NSW prisons system," Mr Malinauskas said. "We're going to wait and see the outcome."

"This is cutting edge and new technology and we want to ensure that we're on board once it's proven to work."