Prison officer arrested after allegedly smuggling home-cooked meals to inmates

Prison officer arrested after allegedly smuggling home-cooked meals to inmates in South Carolina, USA.

A South Carolina corrections officer was arrested and booked into her own jail after allegedly smuggling home-cooked meals to inmates.The suspect, Matrese Grant, served as a sergeant and shift supervisor at the W. Glenn Campbell Detention Center in Darlington County, South Carolina.

Following an internal investigation, she was suspended without pay on September 11, 2026, before being terminated and arrested on September 17, 2026.

Her trouble started when fellow correctional officers noticed unauthorized items entering the jail on September 9. Investigators discovered that on September 7, Grant brought homemade food into the facility, hiding it under a blanket to evade security cameras. She then left it in a secure area for inmates to retrieve later.

Grant faces charges of misconduct in office and furnishing contraband to inmates. She was released on a $15,000 bond.

Darlington County Sheriff Michael August reiterated a strict zero-tolerance policy for outside food. Security protocols classify unauthorized food as contraband because weapons, drugs, or other dangerous materials can easily be concealed inside it.

NJ