COLUMBIA, S.C. — Monday afternoon, the Richland County Sheriff's Department announced the arrest of three officers working at the Richland County Jail. All of them were arrested and booked in the very same jail.
30-year-old, Casey Weirich, was arrested on January 25 on charges of accepting bribes from an inmate, and allegedly alerting inmates about a shakedown before it happened.
24-year-old officer Nakia Smith was arrested less than a week ago on charges of hiding a phone and other contraband with the intent to distribute it to inmates.
And 30-year-old Lynntesha Barr is charged with misconduct in office for accepting $15,000 for distributing contraband inside the jail over the span of 8 months.
Unique Spain has a loved one behind bars in Richland County. She hopes more attention will now be given to the correctional officers staffing the jail.
"It's going to take a team effort. I know you don't want to be a 'snitch' so to speak but it's going to take the good COs to step up and let it be known what they see," Spain said.
These officer arrests come after the jail experienced two inmate deaths. Antonious Randolph was killed on January 26. Demond Thompson died on the 17th.
Richland County Attorney, Patrick Wright, sent a statement about Thompson's death:
The morning of January 17, 2023, an individual was arrested by law enforcement and brought to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. During the intake process, but prior to being housed at the detention center, concerns were observed by medical staff and the individual was taken to a local medical facility for further evaluation. The individual was pronounced dead by the medical facility. The death is currently being investigated by the Coroner so further information cannot be given at this time. The Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center has no other involvement in this matter.
On top of these deaths, the conditions at the jail have been put front and center in the last month, and gotten the attention of state leaders like House Minority Leader, Todd Rutherford.
"A lot of this is a staffing problem," Rutherford explained. "A lot of people don't want to go to work in 2023 and leave their cell phone in their car or at home for 10-12 hours a day. Prior to this, you had a ticking time bomb because Alvin S. Glenn has seen the slow deterioration of moral."
As of January 19, the state corrections department has put the Richland County jail on notice about staffing issues, and other problems that need to be fixed. Richland County has until April 18 to come up with a plan to address staffing issues and living conditions.
According to Rutherford, a bond bill for the state that was introduced at the beginning of the year will go up for a vote Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. Rutherford believes the bill will make the overcrowding issues at the Richland County Jail worse, while Republicans who authored the bill believe it will help reduce crime.