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.
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MAP posted-by: Derek