Lawmakers Scold TDCJ Leaders Over Staff Smuggling

Añadido: Jun 10, 2008

De: rickyminton77

Duración: 2:15

AUSTIN -- Texas Department of Criminal Justice leaders got a public scolding in a Wednesday hearing that was prompted by Local 2 Investigates reporting on prison corruption. "It's amazing to me that we even have to have this damn conversation," said Sen. John Whitmire (D-Houston), co-chair of the joint House and Senate prison oversight committee. He suggested that prison leaders could immediately halt the illegal drugs, cell phones, cigarettes and weapons being smuggled into Texas lockups, if only a thorough search of employees were routine as they arrive for work each day. "It's a damn shame," he said while highlighting the hundreds of cell phones smuggled into prisons each year statewide. Brad Livingston, executive director of the TDCJ, admitted that each smuggled cell phone poses a serious security breach, and he told lawmakers he was not trying to "sugar coat" the problems under his leadership. He blamed staffing shortages and low pay for corrections officers as a big reason for a lack of routine staff searches. Whitmire fired back, accusing the TDCJ of lowering the standards for hiring corrections officers. "Hopefully we're not compromising security and looking the other way because our numbers are so short," he said. Livingston replied, "Certainly not." The joint hearing was called in response to Local 2 Investigates reporting on bribes, smuggling and other corruption at the Terrell Prison Unit in Rosharon, south of Houston in Brazoria County. Legislators said they were troubled by having to learn about so many serious safety issues from a news broadcast. Whitmire said county jails do a better job of keeping cell phones and other contraband out of prisoners' hands. Livingston admitted other systemwide problems under questioning from panel members, including radios and security cameras that are not in working order, and the need for more protective "thrust vests" for corrections officers. "We can't fix what we don't know about," Whitmire said. He and panel Co-chairman Rep. Jerry Madden (R-Richardson) suggested that routine staff searches be implemented immediately. "This is not rocket science," Whitmire said. "It's a very fixable problem." Livingston said staffing shortages and other logistical issues may not allow such a move. He said a change in policy would have to be "sustainable on the long haul" with staffing and budgetary concerns in mind. The panel heard from numerous corrections officers from other prisons, saying they only show their identification card and their belongings sometimes get no search whatsoever as they enter prisons each day. Beaumont corrections officer Ray Stewart testified that 8 to 10 percent of officers would quickly turn around to leave if they found out a thorough search was being conducted. Fort Bend County corrections officer Jerome Hightower blamed younger staff, including some 18-year-old officers who want to bolster their weak paychecks by smuggling phones in for several hundred dollars cash. The prison system's independent inspector general, John Moriarty, testified that "a few corrupt corrections officers can do a lot of damage." He said they can smuggle in several phones for inmates and collect $200 to $400 each. He said smuggling heroin into a lockup only cost $50 in one undercover conversation that was recorded on tape. Moriarty said the corruption uncovered by Local 2 Investigates is thicker than he has seen at any other lockup in Texas. He reported there were 448 cell phone smuggling cases statewide last year, but this year the number has already reached 267 cases. He provided a written summary to legislators of active cases being investigated by his office, including 46 cases at the Clemens Unit in Brazoria County, 31 at the Coffield Unit and 25 at the Connelly Unit. Elsewhere, other prisons like Estelle and Ellis units in Huntsville only had one or two cases. Livingston said the maximum security lockups typically had higher numbers, although he conceded that security should be tighter there in the first place. He said metal detectors are in place to search staff but many cell phones may slip by those searches. Moriarty said he supports a technology that would jam all cell phone transmissions from inside prisons. He said the Federal Communications Commission is prepared to approve the technology, which he estimated to cost about $3,000 for each prison. The inspector general reported 55 bribery investigations last year, while 33 are open so far in 2008. He said his staff has already begun presenting evidence to a special prosecutor on the corruption cases in the original Local 2 Investigates reports. He said a grand jury will consider criminal charges within the next few weeks. Legislators asked for an update from prison leaders before the next legislative session.

Categoría: News

Tags: analysis  commentary  correctional  corrections  crime  criminal  department  gotcha!  jail  justice  news  officer  tdcj  texas 

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