wistv.com - Columbia, South Carolina |8 arrested after handcuff key, blank checks thrown over jail fence

8 arrested after handcuff key, blank checks thrown over jail fence

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By Tim Pulliam - email

LEE COUNTY, SC (WIS) - It's one of the biggest problems prison workers have to deal with -- contraband getting into state prisons.

Just this week, deputies arrested eight people for trying to smuggle prohibited items into a prison in Lee County.

Deputies intercepted two different crews who were in process throwing these items across the fence at the jail on Wisacky Highway near Bishopville

All eight suspects were charged with possession of contraband on state prison property and transported to the Sumter-Lee Detention Center.

The state Department of Corrections says the contraband poses a threat to officers and inmates.

"No matter what you do, there will always be an attempt to try to get things on the inside," said Corrections Department spokesman Clark Newsome.

Newsome says when contraband is tossed over the fence, it can start fights between inmates and put correctional officers in danger especially if a weapon is in the package.

Newsome says contraband seems more frequent these days because officers are more aware of it.

"One of the first things that Judge Byars said when he came in January is we need to have our wardens talk to law enforcement officials to make them more aware of what's going on," said Newsome. "They can look for suspicious characters who might have contraband."

Newsome says the Corrections Department will work with property owners near prisons to cut down trees and bushes where some contraband crews like to hide. It's a team effort to keep the goods out of the hands of inmates.

"The more we have local law enforcement cooperation and the more publicity we get on these arrests, I think the fewer we'll see as time goes by," said Newsome.

Corrections Department director William Byars has been teaching law enforcement agencies across the state how to spot contraband attempts.

Related stories:

Deputies bust another contraband smuggler outside Midlands prison

4 arrested for throwing contraband over jail fence

Deputies seize more contraband bound for prison

Cops prevent contraband from reaching inmates' hands

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