PRISON INQUIRY FAILS TO FIND WIDESPREAD CORRUPTION

Records Show 20 Ex-Employees Pleaded Guilty In Sex, Drug Or Misconduct Cases

COLUMBIA - The state grand jury investigation into the prison system has
ended without any corruption indictments, but 20 former employees have
pleaded guilty or been convicted of sex, drug or misconduct charges,
according to records from the attorney general's office.

Seven of the 20 people were sentenced to jail, but only two were given
sentences of one year or more, according to records obtained by The
Greenville News.

Attorney General Charlie Condon asked for the state grand jury probe in
2000 after reports that inmate Susan Smith had sex with two guards.

Smith is serving a life sentence for drowning her two young sons.

Condon had said allegations of wrongdoing were "widespread and systemic" in
the prisons.

Condon said evidence did not show widespread corruption. But he said the
convictions show there was a problem.

"It's good news for the state that we don't have a widespread corruption
problem in the prison system, although the corruption that was there wasn't
good," he said.

A spokeswoman for Condon said 29 cases involving prison employees are pending.

Another 27 cases are under investigation by the State Law Enforcement
Division, Chief Robert Stewart said.

Former FBI agent Charlie Sheppard was brought into the prison system in
2001 as inspector general and thinks there is less corruption now.

"It's hard to quantify it, but I think it's better," he said. "Certainly I
think the influx of drugs into the prisons has decreased, based upon the
reduced positive rates of inmates who are drug tested."

Eight of the 20 convictions involved charges of sexual misconduct between a
prison employee and inmates.

One of those who had sex with Smith, Houston Cagle, was sentenced to 90
days in jail. The other man, Alfred Rowe Jr., was given probation.

Demont Gilbert was accused of allowing inmates to have sex at the
Governor's Mansion and at the temporary home of Gov. Jim Hodges. Gilbert
was sentenced to one year of probation.

The allegations prompted Hodges to fire prison director William "Doug" Catoe.

Two guards were accused of assaulting inmates. The rest faced drug charges.

The stiffest sentence went to Aaron Goodman, a former guard at Turbeville
Correctional Institution, who was charged with distribution of cocaine and
misconduct in office.

Goodman was sentenced to three years in prison and two years probation.

All of the 20 cases stemmed from individual investigations by SLED and not
the grand jury, Condon said.

SLED opened 143 case files in 2001, but only 44 last year, Stewart said.
"There was a big influx in 2001 because that's when all this stuff blew
up," Stewart said.

"They brought all their files out here, and there was a lot of catching up
to do."

Sen. Mike Fair, R-Greenville, who chairs the Senate Corrections and
Penology Committee, said he is pleased the new prison director, Jon Ozmint,
first headed the state grand jury probe.

"He's uniquely positioned to make changes," Fair said.