Drugs found in visitor’s car, inmate’s mail at prison

NAPANOCH, N.Y. » Staff at the medium-security Ulster Correctional Facility recovered 3.3 ounces of marijuana from a visitor’s car and Suboxone from an inmate’s mail, according to the union representing employees at the prison.

The New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) said an officer and a police dog at the facility found three plastic bags containing marijuana in the trunk of a visitor’s car during a routine inspection on Aug. 23.

The visitor was located and questioned and gave officers permission to search the vehicle, according to NYSCOPBA, State police then responded and charged the visitor with misdemeanor possession of marijuana. The person’s name was not immediately available.

On Tuesday, Sept. 8, as packages mailed to inmates were being inspected, an officer noticed one of them had been tampered with, NYSCOPBA said. The package was opened, and three plastic bags containing 30 strips of Suboxone were found inside, according to the union.

The drugs had been mailed from the Gloversville area, the union said.

In a prepared statement, NYSCOPBA President Mike Mazzella said: “The success of staff discovering drugs in mailed packages since the pandemic occurred has been incredible. Now, with inmate visits reinstated, we are seeing visitors attempting to bring contraband into inmates again. Even with the tremendous success staff has had detecting drugs, they are still getting into the hands of the inmates.”