Prison officer arrested for smuggling meals to inmates

A corrections officer in South Carolina has been fired and arrested after allegedly bringing unauthorised home-cooked meals into the detention centre where she worked.

Matrese Grant, a sergeant and shift supervisor at the W. Glenn Campbell Detention Center in Darlington County, is accused of concealing food beneath a blanket to avoid security cameras before leaving it in a secure location where inmates could retrieve it.

Grant had reportedly worked at the detention centre for about four months before the allegations emerged. According to authorities, another officer noticed unauthorised items entering the facility earlier this month and reported the matter to the Darlington County Sheriff’s Office.

Officials allege that Grant brought home-cooked meals into the detention centre on September 7 and attempted to conceal them from surveillance cameras. The activity was reported on September 9, and Grant was suspended without pay two days later while authorities investigated.

She was subsequently dismissed from her position and arrested on September 17. Grant was charged with misconduct in office and furnishing contraband to inmates before being booked into the same detention centre where she had worked. Authorities said she was later granted a $15,000 cash or surety bond covering both charges.

The sheriff’s office said food brought into the detention centre without authorisation is considered contraband because prohibited or dangerous objects could potentially be concealed inside it. Authorities have not accused Grant of hiding weapons or other harmful objects in the meals. The charges relate to the alleged unauthorised introduction of food into the facility.

“Sheriff Michael August stands firm on his zero tolerance policy for contraband entering this facility,” the sheriff’s office said. “There are strict rules in place for contraband, including food items, due to the possibility of weapons or other harmful materials being hidden within food items.” Officials said the rules apply to employees and inmates.

“If any inmate, employee, or officer is discovered bringing contraband into this facility, they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” the sheriff’s office added. The detention centre has dealt with several other alleged contraband incidents in recent years.

A former food services worker was reportedly arrested in June 2025 on two counts related to introducing prohibited items, while a former corrections officer was arrested in March 2026 after allegedly being captured on camera bringing contraband into the facility.

A facility-wide search in January 2025 also resulted in 55 warrants being issued against inmates, while another investigation in August 2026 led to an additional arrest and charges against two prisoners. Grant remains accused of the offences, and the allegations against her have not been proven in court.