Two women were arrested Monday afternoon for allegedly trying to leave contraband for Decatur County Prison inmates to pick up.
The arrests were made inside the Decatur County Courthouse, where Sheriff’s Investigator Redell Walton caught two women entering a restroom with contraband items — including illegal drugs, tobacco and cell phones—in their possession.
The two women arrested were identified as Ashlyn Joyce Soper, 19, of 134 Jean Drive, Bainbridge, and Donnalea Michelle Laliberte, 43, of Enigma, Ga.
Soper was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and three counts of providing contraband to inmates.
Laliberte, who according to Walton is accused of lesser involvement in the alleged scheme, was charged with one count of providing contraband to inmates.
Walton said Soper had also been identified as one of two females that attempted to leave contraband items at the Decatur County Landfill off U.S. 27 South during an incident about two weeks ago.
In general, people who try to pass on contraband to inmates working outside the prison on work details is an ongoing problem, Walton said.
“Providing contraband to inmates is a felony crime,” Walton said. “Both the Decatur County Prison and the Sheriff’s Office are trying to crack down on that activity. It’s something we’re constantly keeping an eye on.”
Under Georgia law, anyone convicted of introducing contraband items into a prison, gives those items to an inmate, or is found in possession of the items while incarcerated is subject to a penalty of one to five years in prison.