Terrell Unit Warden Removed Following Local 2 Investigation

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May 6, 2008 -- HOUSTON -- Note: The following story is a verbatim transcript of an Investigators story that aired on Tuesday, May 6, 2008, on KPRC Local 2 at 6 p.m. Tonight, the senior warden of a Houston-area prison has been removed and state prison leaders say more changes are on the way. The removal comes days after Local 2 Investigates exposed serious charges of officer corruption and cover-up at the CT Terrell prison unit near Rosharon in Brazoria County. Local 2 investigative reporter Stephen Dean broke this story and has the latest information on the prison investigation. The charges are serious -- officers bringing in contraband, officers having sex with inmates and even working together in organized crime. Whistleblowers inside the prison told us not only did senior warden Anthony Collins ignore their complaints, they claim he retaliated against them for reporting it. Tonight, Collins is no longer running the Terrell unit. "You have a group of rogue officers that are there to basically bring things into the prison unit to supply illegal stuff for the offenders," said corrections officer No. 1, who spoke on conditions of anonymity. "It's swept under the table or no action is taken," said Corrections Officer No. 2, who also spoke on conditions of anonymity. "It's almost a sense of hopelessness." These corrections officers blew the whistle -- saying they provided evidence they say shows dozens of officers inside the Terrell prison unit in Brazoria County are corrupt on one level or another. "Certain parts of the administration is doing everything they can to look out for certain officers that they're basically involved in in some way on the unit," said corrections officer No. 1. However, when these officers detailed their suspicions and firsthand accounts of drug trafficking, sexual relationships and other wrongdoings to prison leaders -- including senior warden Anthony Collins -- they claim they were the ones facing the heat for reporting it. The officers say Collins even changed policy to make sure all officer complaints to headquarters had his signature first. "We just felt from the beginning it was basically a cover-up for a group of officers that were going the wrong way on the unit," said corrections officer No. 1. Just days after we aired our investigation, Collins is no longer on the job inside Terrell. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice tells Local 2 Investigates that Collins has been reassigned, but with no new post decided. Just last week, a TDCJ spokesperson had said Collins was charged with uniting a divided prison staff. Now, TDCJ says Collins' removal was part of an ongoing effort to do just that. TDCJ has not named a new warden, but a spokesperson says one officer has been re-assigned. The prison system promises more moves are on the way following the Local 2 Investigates story. The state Office of Inspector General could soon take some actions of its own. Investigators tell us they're continuing to question officers about a number of corruption charges. Last month, corrections officer Derrick Rice was arrested at the Terrell prison. He's charged with seven counts of felony bribery. Rice is accused of getting paid to bring contraband inside prison walls to inmates. Rice denies the charges.

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Category: News
Uploaded: May 16th, 2008 @ 3:56 pm
Author: rickyminton77

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Tags: corruption criminal department investigates justice kprc local prison ramsey tdcj terrell texas unit

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