Fayette County jail officials implement policy change after failed smuggling attempt
Fayette County jail officials have put new policies in place after supervisors stopped inmates from smuggling 41 Suboxone strips stuffed inside a cigarette package into the facility.
Warden John Lenkey said that while the effort to bring narcotics into the jail failed, the facility will implement several new safeguards to prevent future incidents.
“No matter how new the facility, inmates are going to try to find a way to (smuggle contraband in), and it’s our job to prevent it,” he said. “It was an oversight we missed and we overlooked, but now we are aware of it and will address it accordingly.”
According to jail officials, inmates tried to stick a fishing line-like apparatus through a crack in a window of one of the jail’s recreational yards to reel in a package that was placed outside the facility.
According to an email from Chief County Detective Robert C. Reitler, on Feb. 13 while the county jail employees were retrieving the suspected package, they noticed what appeared to be something sticking out of the jail window. Upon review of surveillance footage, Reitler said it appeared that the inmates were being boosted up the window in an attempt to get the package.
Lenkey said it was not unusual for inmates to jump up on the window ledge to retrieve a racquetball. Now, however, prison staff will retrieve them. A beam was placed across a bench inmates would stand on to help them get to the window ledge.
“Inmates can be pretty keen,” Lekney said.
Reitler said when jail officials inspected the package they found 29 8 mg Suboxone strips and 13 12 mg Suboxone strips stuffed inside the Newport cigarette package. Reiter said Uniontown police placed a “jail value” of about $20,000 on the contraband, meaning if all of the strips were sold they would have netted that much in total from inmates.
The $44 million year-old facility replaced the 132-year-old jail in February 2024.
As for future concerns about smuggling contraband, Lenkey said it’s an ongoing process that requires the staff to stay vigilant. He also said due to a concerted effort by the county, the facility has been able to hire additional officers to bolster security, especially for recreational areas.
“We’re not perfect, and we learn from our mistakes,” Lenkey said “It’s not a failure because a failure is when you recognize there’s a problem and don’t do anything about it.”