Bill aims to cutback on prison contraband

Prisoners caught with contraband face up to 10 extra years in the clink under legislation which cleared the Iowa Senate today. Prison officials are confiscating all sorts of illegal contraband: drugs, knives, razors and other implements which are smuggled to the prisoners. Senator Andy Mc-Kean,a republican from Anamosa, says under present law, it’s illegal to -provide- contraband to prisoners, but it’s NOT illegal for the inmates to possess it. The bill will add up to 10 years to the sentence of an inmate convicted of possessing contraband. Mc-Kean says the bill also allows inmates to be x-rayed in prison visiting rooms to check for contraband. The bill must be approved by the House and signed by the Governor before it becomes law.