LINCOLN — Visiting day brings more than Bible tracts and pop machine change to Nebraska's county jails.
The Gage County jail director surveyed some of her colleagues around the state last year, and they came up with a contraband list that included cigarettes, marijuana, meth, a hacksaw blade, a handcuff key and even a cordless drill.
While sneaking in a handcuff key could land a visitor on the other side of the bars, passing a can of smokeless tobacco to an inmate doesn't currently result in a criminal charge.
Nebraska lawmakers gave first-round approval Tuesday to a bill that would make it illegal to bring contraband into county jails. Sen. Norm Wallman of Cortland said he sponsored Legislative Bill 415 to give officials more leverage to keep jails safe.
Current law prohibits visitors, jail employees and inmates from bringing in illegal drugs or items that could be used in an escape. But while otherwise legal stuff — such as a cigarette lighter or alcohol — is disallowed, it isn't outlawed.
Jailers can discipline inmates for having unauthorized items.
"As for the outsider who gives the prisoner the contraband, there is no significant consequence for doing so," Wallman said.
LB 415 would allow prosecutors to charge anyone introducing any sort of contraband with a misdemeanor. The charge would carry a maximum penalty of one year in jail or a $1,000 fine.
The bill would give county jails the same level of legal recourse as state prisons when it comes to contraband, Wallman said.
No legislators spoke in opposition to the bill, which was carried over from last session.
The bill includes an amendment requiring sheriffs to list all prohibited items on a sign that all visitors can clearly see.
Lt. Amber Mulbery, the Gage County jail director, brought the matter to Wallman's attention last year after a female inmate sneaked a cellphone into the jail after she was arrested. On a subsequent strip search, staff members also found a vial of urine, which the woman planned to use to cheat on a drug test.
Mulbery said she contacted other jail administrators and found many who had similar problems.
Most counties do not allow physical contact between visitors and inmates, but some of the older jails have physical elements that make them more difficult to secure. And since inmates have plenty of time and motive, they can be creative in defeating security measures.
Just like the Buffalo County inmates who used a cordless drill to make a hole in a window.
Not to escape or for ventilation.
They did it to pass individual cigarettes in from the outside.
Contact the writer:
402-473-9587, joe.duggan@owh.com
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