AUGUSTA, Ga. () – Richmond County Sheriff, Eugene Brantley, initiated a coordinated jail-wide contraband search Thursday in an ongoing effort to ensure the safety and well-being of inmates and staff at the Charles B. Webster Detention Center.

In a news conference Thursday afternoon, law enforcement leaders from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office gave an update about prohibited items they found in today’s jail-wide search. 

“We saw the need to have a jail-wide search. Between the chiefs and the Sheriff, we reached out to some of our partners in the surrounding area in the state,” said Col. Bo Johnson.

Those partners including the Columbia and Burke County Sheriff’s Offices, along with the Georgia Department of Corrections to sweep all units, cells and common areas at the jail.

Several deputies drove 2 and half hours from the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office—their Sheriff, Levon Allen, is a close partner. 

“We have a very good relationship with Sheriff Allen,” Johnson said. “He was gracious enough to let us visit his facility in the past and see how they’re running things, and in turn they were gracious enough to come down and assist us with our search.”

Together, deputies found 2 tattoo devices, 2 bags of an unknown white, powdery substance, 4 grams of K-2 narcotics, and at least 20 shanks—which inmates are making out of outdated light fixtures. 

“Unfortunately, we’ve got very old light fixtures in our facility. We really need to have them replaced, they’re so outdated, it’s unbelievable. They disassemble them, as much as our folks try to keep them under watch and keep them in place,” said Johnson. “The inmates have a lot of time throughout the day, and one of the things they do is tearing things apart, and use them to make them into shanks. That’s all of our light fixtures, and we really need those replaced badly.”

Captain Joel Denko confirmed that all seized materials are under investigation at this time.

The Sheriff’s Office says 5 felony charges are pending for possessing the contraband.

Law enforcement says the search is part of a bigger plan from the Sheriff’s Office to ensure the safety and well-being of inmates inside the jail. 

“Every single person that’s in there, we’re obligated to keep them safe. We have an obligation to the community, and they’re loved ones that are in the jail. So, anytime that we see fit, we’re going to continue to search and try to find as much contraband as we can and remove it from the jail,” said Capt. Joel Danko.

The Jail has had issues with overcrowding and understaffing in recent years, but Johnson says that did not play a part in Thursday’s search. 

Sheriff Brantley says the search marks the beginning of a routine they will put in place.

Daily targeted inspections, weekly large-scale checks, and monthly reviews of housing areas will follow.

“Safety for our inmates and deputies inside the jail is a top priority for Sheriff Brantley and his administration, and that’s what we plan to do going forward,” said Johnson.