By C1 Staff
LARGO — Inmates at the Pinellas County Jail are using elaborate setups to try and get contraband inside facility walls.
The Tampa Bay Times reports that inmates are using nylon cords to pull grocery bags full of contraband into their cells. It worked several times, up until the package got snagged on the outside of a window.
All three involved in the scheme were convicted on contraband charges.
“If there’s a way, they’re going to figure it out,” said Sgt. Ron Wehr, supervisor of the detention investigations unit. “They’re thinking hard on how to break the system, and we’re on the other side trying to stop them.”
The DIU relies on inmates with insider information, and in return, the unit helps the inmates with their cases.
Besides the ‘fishing’ method, inmates have also been known to get contraband in through the mail, which caused the jail to briefly consider a postcard-only policy. They eventually decided against it and are now sure to thoroughly check all parts of an envelope, including under the stamp.
A body scanner has also improved their side of the war on contraband, which assists deputies in discovering hidden items on detainees before they’re booked.
“Anything that you have on the street will happen here,” Wehr said. “It’s a city of over 3,000 and it’s 24/7. It never stops operating.”