Army Study Finds ICE Shock Gloves Cause Pain

An October 2024 Army assessment at Fort Leavenworth found shock gloves caused intense pain and led soldiers role-playing combative prisoners to stop resisting within seconds. The three-day Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head trial, in a 38-page report, recorded fatigue, soreness, and fear of further shocks. Participants said just seeing the glove made them want to comply. The devices overload peripheral nerve endings rather than freeze the body like a Taser; moisture or oil intensified shocks, and one participant had pain for about 30 minutes after oil was used. ICE signed a $16.7 million August contract for 6,000 pairs from Compliant Technologies at $2,495 each, describing them as de-escalation devices. Chioma Chukwu of American Oversight said the assessment shows intense pain and forced compliance but does not establish the gloves are safe, leaving unanswered the cost to those subjected to them. ICE stated officers are highly trained in de-escalation tactics. The limited review did not evaluate medical effects or risks to children, pregnant women, older adults, or people with disabilities, groups the manufacturer manual advises against using the gloves on. The contract requires delivery within six months.