Pubdate: Thu, 10 Nov 2005 Source: Tennessean, The (TN) Copyright: 2005 The Tennessean Contact: http://www.tennessean.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/447 RAID ON PRISON CONTRABAND Tennesseans should hope the massive sweep of the West Tennessee State Penitentiary in Henning last week will be the first of many. Correction department officials promised state lawmakers last spring that they would address prison contraband, including drugs. The reports of extensive contraband items suggested some prison employees, as well as prisoners, were benefiting. Lawmakers added $481,000 to the prisons budgets to provide six dog units to sniff for drugs. Now, the department, under its new commissioner, George Little, has responded. The actual raid on the prison was planned before Little took office, but the need for the raid has long been apparent. He promises other unannounced raids. The Henning facility specifically has a history of prisoners using illegal cell phones. Since the phones provide access to a world of potential criminal activity, the sweep was justified on those grounds alone. But it's the drug trade within prison grounds that is most troubling. Former Correction Commissioner Quenton White told lawmakers in the spring that personnel could be assisting prisoners in smuggling the drugs into the facilities. At the time, as many as 17 guards had resigned or been fired over allegations that they had abetted prisoners in obtaining drugs. Drug-smuggling in prisons isn't unique to Tennessee, but state prisons are overdue for a shakeup to show that the department doesn't take the situation lightly. The raid uncovered not only drugs but weapons. If nothing else, Tennesseans can expect safer prisons for those families who have to visit and the many law-abiding staff members who work there. Drug rings and other illegal activity in prisons often are blamed on poor salaries for guards who can be persuaded to look the other way for the right price. Tennessee has improved salaries for its guards, but it still has far to go to meet competing salaries in neighboring states. Until those needs are addressed, however, periodic raids go a long way to make conditions better for prison employees and more reassuring to the public. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek