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Carney to Sign Two Prison Reform Bills

Governor John Carney (D-De)
official photo
Governor John Carney (D-De)

DOVER, Del. (AP) - Gov. John Carney is signing two bills aimed at improving security within Delaware prisons.

One measure to be signed Friday makes it a felony for an inmate to recklessly injure a correctional officer or prison worker or recklessly hit them with urine, feces or other bodily fluids. Under current law, such acts must be intentional for an inmate to be convicted of a felony carrying mandatory prison time.

The other bill expands the list of felony-level contraband prohibited in prisons to include any illegal narcotic or look-alike substance, any prescription medicine, any unapproved electronic device, and any item that could be used to facilitate an escape.

Both bills were introduced after a February riot and hostage-taking at Delaware's maximum-security prison in which a prison guard was killed.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.