SALT LAKE CITY — An inmate who made a hole in a plexiglass barrier was one of the more brazen attempts to receive drugs inside a Utah prison, leading to one of four recent arrests of similar crimes.
The Utah Department of Corrections said Wednesday it had made the arrests over a period of eight days, using them as a warning to those who try to pass drugs to inmates.
Not only was the inmate in the broken plexiglass incident arrested, but so was a 26-year-old woman on suspicion of having items prohibited in a correctional-mental health facility, possession of a controlled substance and damage to jails.
Another incident saw a woman who was observed putting an illegal substance inside a crayon box used by children during a prison visit. The 44-year-old woman was later arrested.
“Those who bring drugs and other contraband to our facilities will be held accountable and we will prosecute,” said Mike Schoenfeld, director of Utah's Law Enforcement Bureau.
Schoenfeld added that officers now have information on future drug handoffs and are "keeping an eye on specific individuals."
The department said continued incidents could lead to restrictions on overall prison visits.
