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North Florida Corrections Officer Facing Felony Charges For Smuggling Contraband

Suwannee County Sheriff's office

A north Florida correctional officer has been arrested for smuggling contraband into a prison.

Alice Edwards of Live Oak is facing felony charges for introducing contraband into Suwannee Correctional Institution as well as unlawful compensation by a public official. A lot of arrests reported by the Florida Department of Corrections over the past few months deal with contraband, and a recent audit states it’s a problem within the state’s prison system—which Prison head Julie Jones says she’s investigating.

“We’re going to spend a lot more time looking at our visitors, our visitor parks, the cameras, and associated policies and procedures associated with our visitors,” said Jones, about a month ago.

Meanwhile, Edwards is the first reported correctional officer from Suwannee so far arrested for contraband. At least four correctional officers from that area have been arrested for assaulting inmates and lying about it. 

For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter: @SaschaCordner.

Sascha Cordner has more than ten years of public radio experience. It includes working at NPR member station WUFT-FM in Gainesville for several years. She's worked in both radio and TV, serving in various capacities as a reporter, producer and anchor. She's also a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in telecommunications. She is the recipient of 15 awards from the Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and Edward R. Murrow. Her award-winning stories include her coverage on the infamous “Dozier School for Boys” and a feature titled "Male Breast Cancer: Lost in the Sea of Pink." Currently, Sascha serves as the host and producer of local and state news content for the afternoon news program "All Things Considered" at WFSU. Sascha primarily covers criminal justice and social services issues. When she's not reporting, Sascha likes catching up on her favorite TV shows, singing and reading. Follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter:@SaschaCordner.