Five jail trustees were sent back to prison after contraband was found in the Hempstead County Detention Center. After an investigation by the Hempstead County Sheriff's Department into the smuggling of contraband into the jail, five state ACT 309 inmates assigned to the Detention Center were sent back to the Department of Correction last week.

Sheriff James Singleton says detention officers discovered several items of contraband including a cell phone, I-Pod, a small clear plastic baggie containing a small amount of suspected marijuana, and several adult DVD's.

One inmate assigned to janitorial and yard maintenance at Arkansas State Police Troop G was observed on security cameras by detention officers attempting to discard a pipe believed to have been used to ingest an illegal substance. The pipe was discovered in a trash can.

During the investigation all 13 ACT 309 inmates assigned to the detention center were drug tested. One tested positive for illegal substances. Three inmates admitted to using drugs while on furlough and while at the detention center, and one admitted to having the cell phone and I-Pod. None of the five inmates admitted to possessing the baggie containing the substance.

The other eight inmates tested negative for any type illegal substance and were cleared to return to their work assignments.

All five of the inmates involved were immediately confined to individual cells and the Department of Correction 309 supervisor was notified of the incident. They were all transported by Hempstead County detention officers back to the Department of Correction where they will face disciplinary action by the ADC.

The Department of Correction assigned five new 309's to the Detention Center which arrived Friday, Feb. 17, to replace the ones sent back.

After a review of security and policy procedures it was determined that several policy and procedure violations occurred during this incident. Maintenance supervisor Lt. Kevin Melson was terminated for violating Detention Center Policy and Procedures.

Email Print