PRISON TOSSERS WARNED

Drugs Thrown Into Stony

Officials at Stony Mountain Institution have a message to anyone
trying to toss contraband over fences onto its grounds: you're not
putting one over on us.

The federal penitentiary has recently seen a dramatic increase in
efforts to throw contraband into an exercise yard at the
medium-security facility north of the city. The prison is asking the
public to help cut off the flow of drugs by informing its security
staff of activity that might arouse suspicion.

'TAKING STEPS'

"They can give us a call. That helps us out a great deal," said Chris
McLauchlan, spokesman for the pen. "We're aware of the activity and
we're taking steps to deal with it."

The so-called "throw-over activity" hasn't included only illegal drugs.

On March 7, a security-tower officer saw someone attempt to throw more
than one package from the penitentiary's outer property over a fence.

Staff recovered a couple of packages containing about 150 grams of
marijuana valued at $12,000 inside prison walls, and a cellphone and a
wireless e-mail device.

On Feb. 26, prison security officers tried unsuccessfully to apprehend
a trespasser whom they had seen at the edge of the grounds. Police
later used a description of the person and a vehicle to recover a
package of marijuana, crack cocaine and ecstasy pills worth almost
$38,000 within the penitentiary.

On Jan. 31, a prison motor-patrol staffer witnessed an attempt to toss
a package into the exercise compound. Penitentiary officers grabbed
the package -- holding 212 grams of pot worth nearly $17,000 -- before
inmates could get their hands on it.

McLauchlan said such efforts to deliver contraband "tend to come in
cycles," perhaps due to a rising or dwindling availability of suppliers.

Citizens in the adjacent community of Stony Mountain are encouraged by
prison officials to report such activity by calling a "hotline" at
344-#### to talk to the pen's command and control post.

And the public -- including anyone under threat or coercion to bring
drugs or other contraband into the prison -- with knowledge of the
drug trade at the penitentiary is asked to call a Stony tip line at
344-#### to speak to its security department.