Tuesday, September 22, 2026 -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.
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