A South Carolina prison supervisor, Christine Mary Livingston, has been indicted on charges including bribery, conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering. Livingston accepted over $219,000 in bribes and obtained 173 contraband cellphones for inmates at Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia. Livingston worked with an inmate, Jerell Reaves, to accept bribes through the Cash App money transfer program. Reaves, serving a 15-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter, and Livingston both face up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and repayment of the illegal earnings if convicted.
The use of contraband cellphones in South Carolina prisons has been a persistent issue, leading to drug rings, fraud schemes, and violence behind bars. The 2018 riot at Lee Correctional Institution, which resulted in the deaths of seven inmates, was fueled by cellphones. Corrections Director Bryan Stirling has called for the ability to jam cellphone signals in prisons, but this request has not been granted. Instead, a pilot program has been implemented using a device that identifies all cellphones on prison grounds and allows for the blockage of unauthorized numbers. However, further expansion of this program has been hindered by budget constraints.
From July 2022 to June 2023, state prison officials issued 2,179 violations for inmates possessing banned communication devices, and more than 35,000 cellphones have been confiscated since 2015. While the South Carolina prison system has approximately 16,000 inmates, the issue of contraband cellphones remains a significant challenge. Stirling has advocated for specific legislation designating cellphones as illegal in prisons, with enhanced penalties for possession. However, a bill to address this issue has not yet made it out of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Livingston’s actions have been condemned by Stirling as a betrayal of public trust and a threat to the safety of inmates, staff, and the community. The prison system continues to face the challenge of preventing the influx of contraband cellphones, which have been instrumental in criminal activities within correctional facilities. Efforts to combat this issue have included the utilization of technology to detect and block unauthorized cellphone use, but limitations in resources have hindered the full implementation of these strategies. The ongoing battle to address contraband cellphones in South Carolina prisons underscores the need for comprehensive solutions to ensure the security and integrity of correctional facilities.
