Commissioner : Homer Bryson

Director of Public Affairs : Joan Heath

Close to 8,000 items seized

FORSYTH, Ga. – A total of 7,890 items of contraband have been removed from inside the walls of our prisons in the third quarter of 2016. In our continued efforts to eliminate contraband, the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) diligently works to improve and enhance front line and technological methods as well as conduct full facility shakedowns.

“In the past nine months, our agency has intercepted more than 22,000 items of contraband,” said Commissioner Bryson. “We are determined to remain ‘tough on crime from within' and are actively fighting the threat that contraband poses to the safety of the public, our staff and inmates.”

Through the collaboration of our Office of Professional Standards, GDC Tactical Squads and K9 Units, between July and September, the following items were confiscated:

  • 1,670 cell phones
  • 859 cell phone chargers
  • 1,153 handmade weapons
  • 8,454.13 grams of marijuana (736 bags/balloons)
  • 54,911.67 grams of tobacco (2,447 bags/balloons)
  • 1,057.78 grams of methamphetamine (166 bags/balloons)
  • 129.46 grams of cocaine (5 bags/balloons)
  • 6 gram of ecstasy (1 bag/balloon)
  • 776 pills
  • 3,415.50 ounces of alcohol (33 instances)
  • 18 syringes
  • 26 SIM/SD cards

Efforts to assist with preventing contraband from entering our facilities include additional training on contraband detection, improved package screening of items entering facilities, enhanced staff screen during shift change, cell phone detection canines, secure evidence storage procedures, BOSS scanners, cell sense devices, through-body scanners, thermal imaging, perimeter netting and infrared cameras.

In addition, the agency has committed to implementing one or more concentrated shakedown operations at all 33 state prisons over the course of 2016. To date, 34 shakedowns have been completed and have contributed to the agency’s overall contraband interdiction efforts resulting in a total of 22,518 items seized for 2016. During the third quarter alone, shakedowns resulted a total of 1,410 items seized.

These concerted 12-hour shakedown operations average 400 tactical squad members, 15-20 investigators, and 10-15 K9 handlers. Third quarter seizures included:

  • 240 handmade weapons
  • 201 cell phones
  • 187 cell phone chargers
  • 3041.4 grams of tobacco (86 of instances)
  • 440.78 grams of marijuana (43 of instances)
  • 85.1 grams of methamphetamine (7 of instances)
  • 341 unidentified pills
  • 16 Green Dot cards & information
  • 248 bundles of financial information
  • $1,204.77 currency (6 instances)
  • 2,600.7 ounces of homemade alcohol (17 instances)
  • 8 cell phone batteries
  • 7 syringes
  • 3 SIM cards

“Our efforts are not only increasing but are becoming more evident to our staff and offenders,” said Commissioner Bryson. “Our mission to stop those who attempt to disrupt the safety of our prisons and the safety of the citizens of Georgia continues through our efforts to eradicate contraband.”

For more information on the GDC call 478-992-5247 or visit https://gdc.georgia.gov.