Post by Doc2 on Apr 6, 2009 5:48:13 GMT -5
21 illegal prison “cells’ seized
By Mike Ward | Thursday, April 2, 2009, 06:10 PM
With prison officials poised to expand legal pay phones in Texas prisons, it seems they can’t be installed fast enough.
Authorities said this afternoon that 21 cell phones, 21 chargers, 14 SIM cards and 2 MP3 players “with accessories” were confiscated Tuesday in a dog kennel at the 2,800-man Stiles Unit outside Beaumont.
Prison officials said eight bags of tobacco — illegal in prisons, like the cell phones — were also seized.
At a meeting in Austin tomorrow, the prison system’s governing board is expected to announce the details of new pay phones that are being installed in Texas prisons — a move they hope will lessen the demand for smuggled cell phones. The first pay phones were turned on earlier this week at a prison outside Houston.
“We caught these cell phones before they made it into the unit,” said Michele Lyons, a prison system spokeswoman.
The discovery in Beaumont came as investigations continue into how hundreds of cell phones are getting into state prisons, despite an announced crackdown last fall that includes searches of every employee and visitor.
The crackdown started after death row inmate Richard Lee Tabler called state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, and this reporter on a smuggled cell phone, then threatened both after investigators busted him.
Whitmire, who chairs the Senate committee that oversees the prison system, reported Tabler’s calls to police.
In an unprecedented move, Gov. Rick Perry ordered Texas’ 112 state prisons locked down for 10 days until every cell could be searched for cell phones and other contrand. In all, nearly 200 phones were found — including nearly two dozen on death row, presumably the most secure part of the prison system.
Since then, officials have mandated metal-detector and pat searches for everyone coming and going from state prisons, and have continued assurances that the smuggled cell phones are being curbed.
The Stiles Unit is one of five where most of the smuggled phones have been seized. In February, correctional officer Eric Talmore, 24, was arrested by prison invstigators after he was caught trying to walk in with three cell phones and other contraband concealed in a rice container.
Officials said he faces a felony charge of smuggling contraband into a prison.
By Mike Ward | Thursday, April 2, 2009, 06:10 PM
With prison officials poised to expand legal pay phones in Texas prisons, it seems they can’t be installed fast enough.
Authorities said this afternoon that 21 cell phones, 21 chargers, 14 SIM cards and 2 MP3 players “with accessories” were confiscated Tuesday in a dog kennel at the 2,800-man Stiles Unit outside Beaumont.
Prison officials said eight bags of tobacco — illegal in prisons, like the cell phones — were also seized.
At a meeting in Austin tomorrow, the prison system’s governing board is expected to announce the details of new pay phones that are being installed in Texas prisons — a move they hope will lessen the demand for smuggled cell phones. The first pay phones were turned on earlier this week at a prison outside Houston.
“We caught these cell phones before they made it into the unit,” said Michele Lyons, a prison system spokeswoman.
The discovery in Beaumont came as investigations continue into how hundreds of cell phones are getting into state prisons, despite an announced crackdown last fall that includes searches of every employee and visitor.
The crackdown started after death row inmate Richard Lee Tabler called state Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, and this reporter on a smuggled cell phone, then threatened both after investigators busted him.
Whitmire, who chairs the Senate committee that oversees the prison system, reported Tabler’s calls to police.
In an unprecedented move, Gov. Rick Perry ordered Texas’ 112 state prisons locked down for 10 days until every cell could be searched for cell phones and other contrand. In all, nearly 200 phones were found — including nearly two dozen on death row, presumably the most secure part of the prison system.
Since then, officials have mandated metal-detector and pat searches for everyone coming and going from state prisons, and have continued assurances that the smuggled cell phones are being curbed.
The Stiles Unit is one of five where most of the smuggled phones have been seized. In February, correctional officer Eric Talmore, 24, was arrested by prison invstigators after he was caught trying to walk in with three cell phones and other contraband concealed in a rice container.
Officials said he faces a felony charge of smuggling contraband into a prison.