PRESS RELEASE: Three People Arrested in the Same Day for Smuggling Drugs Into a State Prison
Released March 20, 2025
Contact Jim Kopriva (email) Communications OfficeWALLA WALLA, WA — Three separate visitors to the Washington State Penitentiary (WSP) were arrested Monday for attempting to introduce contraband.
Each arrived at the prison loaded with drugs they likely intended to deliver. Two of the suspects admitted to prior deliveries.
“Do not bring drugs or guns into prisons,” said Rod Coll, an investigator within the state Department of Corrections’ (DOC) Intelligence and Investigations Unit. “We see it more than we would like to, and we catch it all the time. Now, these three individuals have felony charges of their own to deal with.”
Halting the flow of dangerous drugs is a top priority for the department. Synthetic opioids can now take many forms, making interception much more difficult.
“When drugs make it into prisons, it undermines our core function to rehabilitate,” said DOC secretary Tim Lang. “This is a daily issue. It’s a profound threat. So we’re very focused on keeping drugs out.”
Physical mail is scanned for digital delivery to incarcerated individuals because mail is routinely found to be infused with opioids and cannabinoids. Balloons and drones have been intercepted flying over prison perimeters. Visitors are individually screened, and the department is conducting a body scanner pilot program to perform more frequent and less personally invasive screenings. Trained fentanyl-sniffing dogs have also proven effective.
“I say this all the time to visitors that we offer visitation for you to spend time with your loved ones and keep up that bond. We’re not here to scare you,” said Coll. “But we do get bad actors, and we perform all this security to maintain a safe environment.”
On Sunday, an individual was arrested in another attempt to deliver drugs within WSP. They were seen on surveillance dropping a bindle of drugs on the floor, using a crawling infant as cover.