More cell phones found on death row

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Five more cell phones or components have been discovered on Texas' death row in the past two weeks. The Chair of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee said it is a sign that more needs to be done to crackdown on prison contraband. "Until we get metal detectors in all the units, surveillance cameras and drug dogs, I will not be satisfied," said Senator John Whitmire, D-Houston.

Whitmire said he is pursuing federal legislation that will allow jamming of cell phone signals in prison areas. The senator himself received a threatening cell phone call from death row inmate Richard Tabler, sparking the crackdown. "The phone that was used to call me initially, nine other death row inmates had made calls on that," said Whitmire.

At least two Texas corrections officers were under investigation in the Whitmire case. He said he suspects many more are involved in the prison cell phone scandal. Smuggling contraband into a prison is a felony, but until now, officers were never prosecuted, just fired. "That's nuts, it's been a very lax policy," said Whitmire.

The Inspector General for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said 100 additional corrections officers were now searching death row. "In the 20 years I've been around the prison system, I've never seen the security as tight as it currently is," said John Moriarty, "There was the one inmate that had one in his body cavity also, when it was recovered from him. That just goes to show you the extent to which they're willing to hide them."

All officers, staff, visitors, even investigators going in and out of Texas prisons, were now being searched. "Honest, hard working corrections officers do not mind being patted down," said Whitmire. "The bad guys do, and they need to go work somewhere else."