A shakedown this week by the Mississippi Department of Corrections at the Carroll-Montgomery County Regional Correctional Facility yielded crystal meth, cocaine, shanks and other contraband.
But Carroll County Sheriff Clint Walker said he and the facility’s warden, Brandon Smith, were told by the state that, compared to five other corrections facilities that have seen recent raids, the regional jail in Vaiden yielded far less contraband than the others.
“They did tell me that this was the least amount of contraband found in any search,” Walker said. “I have spoken to Warden Smith, and he was very pleased with the outcome.
“Obviously, any amount of contraband is unacceptable, but we know we can’t stop it all.”
Walker said that if he had his way, raids like Wednesday’s would occur every week.
“It would definitely be a deterrent if they could do it more often,” Walker said, adding that he understands it’s too big of an expense for the state to do regularly.
“We do our own shakedowns, but we just don’t have enough officers to hit all areas of the facility at the same time.”
Because the jail is arranged in pods, word spreads quickly from one pod to the other when sheriff’s deputies come looking for contraband, and inmates are often able to move it around to prevent being caught, Walker said.
His office has worked with the jail recently, arresting a guard bringing cellphones into the facility and charging him with conspiracy to introduce contraband. Walker said his office has also arrested several family members attempting to bring contraband into the jail.
The state Department of Corrections will now conduct an independent investigation, Walker said, “and they’ll make the determination on who to charge with the contraband that was confiscated.”
Inmates found with stockpiles of contraband are likely engaging in extortion, according to The Associated Press, which first reported on the raid.
Walker said that’s a common power play among inmates, using contraband as a trade commodity within the jail.
“If you get enough boxes of ramen noodles, you can swap them out for favors or for other items,” he said.
Walker said this is the second shakedown at the Carroll-Montgomery facility in a little more than a year.
This week’s raid also turned up scales, tattoo kits, cigarettes and jewelry.
The contraband was found in hidden compartments, mostly in bunks.
• Contact Kathryn Eastburn at 581-7235 or keastburn@gwcommonwealth.com.
