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Captain Robert Johnson shows a photo of his scar from his surgery after being shot six times. The hit on him was organized by an inmate in prison with an illegal cell phone.<\/p>\n
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Contraband, including cash, drugs and cell phones confiscated by South Carolina correctional officers<\/p>\n
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Bryan Stirling, the director of the South Carolina Department of Corrections, explains how cell phones in prisons are a public safety issue.<\/p>\n
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A cell phone\u00a0in an inmate\u2019s possession is not only illegal, but also a public safety issue\u00a0growing\u00a0throughout the nation.<\/span><\/p>\n Capt.\u00a0Robert Johnson, a former South Carolina correctional officer and captain of the contraband unit,<\/strong> is especially aware of the issue cell phones in prisons present.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been kicked, I\u2019ve been knocked out, I\u2019ve been stabbed \u2014 all because of cell phones,\u201d\u00a0Johnson said.<\/span><\/p>\n Johnson had a hit organized on him by an inmate with an illegal cell phone. The inmate paid a man $6,000 dollars\u00a0to come to Johnson\u2019s home and kill him.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis guy actually stood over me after I fell and continued to shoot,\u201d Johnson said.<\/span><\/p>\n While\u00a0Johnson’s\u00a0incident happened nearly a decade ago, the problem\u00a0continues to grow.<\/span><\/p>\n In February, Gov. Henry\u00a0McMaster declared cell phones in prisons a state emergency and issued an executive order to rid prisons of cell phones.<\/span><\/p>\n The issue became more urgent following a prison riot at Lee Correctional Institution April 15. \u00a0According to the South Carolina Department of Corrections, the inmates were fighting over territory and contraband, specifically cell phones. Seven inmates at the Bishopville maximum-security prison died as a result of the riot and 22 were sent to the hospital.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n