From The Tribune staff report
SPRINGVILLE — The Alabama Department of Corrections’ Law Enforcement Services Division announced the arrest of multiple individuals at the St. Clair Correctional Facility in Springville who are charged with attempting to introduce illegal contraband into the facility.
The arrests stem from the ADOC’s push to enforce the department’s zero-tolerance contraband policy. In fact, the department arrested a total of 22 free-world individuals and five staff members throughout seven facilities in Alabama who were caught trying to sneak in illegal contraband.
“Ill-intentioned inmates use cell phones to coordinate duplicitous schemes with free-world individuals who, in light of suspended visitation, often will go to extreme lengths to introduce contraband – including sneaking through the woods at night to try to throw illegal items over our fences undetected,” LESD Chief Law Enforcement Officer Arnaldo Mercado said. “For anyone who is complicit in these schemes, know this – we are onto you, you will eventually be caught, and you will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
In addition, throughout the period of March 18 to June 18, 2020, the department confiscated more than 150 electronics, more than 100 weapons and eliminated 7,166 grams of drugs in facilities throughout the state.
Free-world arrests have been made at the following ADOC facilities:
- Bibb Correctional Facility in Brent (2)
- Donaldson Correction Facility in Bessemer (7)
- Elmore Correctional Facility in Elmore (3)
- Fountain Correctional Facility in Atmore (3)
- North Alabama Community Work Center (1)
- St. Clair Correctional Facility in Springville (4)
- Ventress Correctional Facility in Clayton (2)
“While the entire ADOC – from executive leadership to our security staff – has been working diligently to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our facilities, the LESD also has been hard at work eradicating contraband including cell phones, which we know are the nexus of most coordinated criminal activity in our facilities,” Mercado said. “Unfortunately, we’ve actually seen an increase in attempted illegal activity related to contraband introduction during the pandemic. Criminals have found new and, in some cases, sophisticated means by which to exploit the porous nature of our dilapidated, aging facilities.”
