15 Inmates At Central Prison Charged With Drug Possession

Warden R.C. Lee suspected something was going on a year ago. He called in theState Bureau of Investigation, and after 10 months working the case, agents charged 15 inmates with having marijuana.

Lee says the marijuana may have come into the prison from staff members.

"We have to monitor this vigilantly and constantly," he says. "I have no sympathy for a staff member who would bring something in like this."

Several of the inmates are in prison on first- or second-degree murder charges. Four of the inmates,Terrence Taylor,Renwick Gibbs,Eric D. Queenand Anthony Francis, are on death row. Possessing marijuana also earns them up to six months of solitary confinement.

State agents caught most of the inmates with only one or two grams of marijuana. In fact, after 10 months of investigating, they turned up just an ounce of marijuana in all.

"Any amount of drugs, you must stay on top of it because it can get out of control," he says.

Lee has not charged any of his staff members with smuggling in marijuana, but the investigation is not over yet.