Autry State Prison Shakedowns Net More than 1,000 Items of Contraband

Autry State Prison Shakedowns Net More than 1,000 Items of Contraband

Items seized over course of a year

FORSYTH, Ga. – The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) Tactical Squads, along with investigators with the Office of Professional Standards, converged on Autry State Prison on January 21, during the final phase of a months-long operation to eradicate Autry State Prison of illegal contraband.

In conjunction with the investigation and our partnership with the FBI, GDC began taking action through the coordination of shakedowns at Autry State Prison beginning in January 2015.

“We have made it a priority in our agency to combat the cell phone issue,” said Commissioner Bryson. “We are not depending on other people to solve the issue for us.  Instead, we have been proactive internally, making significant changes in some of our operations, and we believe that is making a difference in the number of cell phones we see coming into our facilities.”

At Autry State Prison alone, a total of 21 tactical and institutional shakedowns have been conducted since January of last year. Those previous shakedowns, along with the one conducted yesterday, resulted in more than 1,000 items of contraband taken out of the hands of inmates.  Contraband includes cell phones, drugs, weapons and tobacco.  Photos of some of these items can be seen here.

“Complete shakedowns of each of our 33 state prisons will be conducted in the coming months, and our stance of ‘tough on crime within’ will not only continue but become more apparent,” added Bryson.

For more information on the GDC call 478-992-5247 or visit http://www.gdc.ga.gov.